Carlton Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography

DULUTH, Minn. - A Carlton man has been sentenced to 300 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for the production and attempted production of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, between 2015 and 2022, Stephen Jeremiah Hansen, 30, engaged in a pattern of sexually abusing children, including at least six children between the ages of two and 12 years old. The abuse included removing the children's clothing, touching their genitals, and capturing videos and photos of it on his cell phone. In total, 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.

On September 26, 2023, Hansen pleaded guilty to one count of production and attempted production of child pornography. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Jerry W. Blackwell on July 23, 2024.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children in crimes involving child pornography, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case is the result of an investigation led by the FBI, the Carlton County Sheriff's Office, and the St. Paul Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth S. Shnider prosecuted the case.