Carlton man sentenced to 25 Years for producing child pornography

On Tuesday, July 23, Stephen Jeremiah Hansen of Carlton was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the production and attempted production of child pornography, according to United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. The sentence will be followed by 15 years of supervised release.

Hansen had pleaded guilty to one count of production and attempted production of child pornography on September 26, 2023. The case is the result of an investigation led by the FBI, the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Paul Police Department.

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According to court documents, Hansen, 30, engaged in a pattern of sexually abusing children including at least six children between the ages of two and 12 years old between 2015 and 2022. The abuse included removing the children’s clothing, touching their genitals, and capturing videos and photos of it on his cell phone, the report says. At least 250 images of child pornography were discovered in Hansen’s possession, some of which he created and some of which were downloaded from the internet.

According to the Department of Justice, the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.