The Minnesota Children’s Museum in St. Paul received a tip about an unconsented photo of a minor taken in one of its bathrooms, which set off the legal proceedings against Stephan Jeremiah Hansen.
At the time of the March 2022 event, nobody realized that it would play a crucial role in putting an end to the Carlton man’s nearly ten-year history of child sexual assault.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth Shnider described the behavior as “incredibly dangerous” on Tuesday. “It is really obsessive.”
The 30-year-old Hansen was given a 25-year federal jail sentence after he acknowledged abusing at least six young children and producing many pornographic images and films.
Upon his release from jail, U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell additionally mandated 15 years of supervised release.
Court filings state that Hansen owned at least 119 distinct photos of child pornography, some of which he created himself and others which he got from the internet. These images included at least five of the victims of his assault.
Hansen was called a “monster” in all three of the victim-impact statements that were read aloud during the tearful hour-long hearing.
One parent questioned, “How do you sleep at night knowing you did these things to children?” “This is something the kids will have to deal with for the rest of their lives.”
A 14-year-old victim shared the effects of her repeated abuse.
She testified in court that “he always found a way to keep my mouth shut and not tell anyone.”
In September, Hansen entered a guilty plea to a charge of producing and attempting to produce child pornography.
The abuse, which started at least in 2015 and continued until the St. Paul Police Department found the contents of his phone and handed the investigation over to the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, was said to have involved children between the approximate ages of 2 and 12.
After confirming the victims’ identities and the locations of the abuse, investigators concluded that a large portion of the child sexual abuse material appeared to be manufactured as it could not be linked to known child pornography.
In one interview, Hansen acknowledged creating the pornographic material and sexually abusing the kids, who he knew. Although he said he could not remember how long he had been doing it, he did tell police that his “target range (for the victims) was 3-7 years old.”
Federal officials dropped three further child pornography counts after the defendant entered a guilty plea, and the state attorney’s office in Carlton County consented to drop sixteen more charges that overlapped.
The defense argued for the mandatory minimum of 15 years, while federal prosecutors sought the statutory maximum of 30 years.
According to Shnider, Hansen “sexually abused just about every child in his orbit over about 10 years,” according to the report. According to her, officials are still unable to positively identify every youngster included in his pictures.
The prosecutor stated, “It’s one of the worst kinds of harm that can be inflicted on a victim,” and asked that the defendant be placed under lifelong monitoring. “The victims will always carry this with them.”
Tom Shiah, the defense lawyer, said that although his client’s actions were “despicable,” they weren’t the kind of crimes someone would commit “just because they decide it’s a good idea one day.”
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He said Hansen has accepted responsibility and made a commitment to receiving therapy, despite having a horrific upbringing due to his own abuse and neglect.
Shiah remarked, “He still needs to be punished because he’s a human being, and we need to get him the help he needs.”
Using the occasion, Hansen expressed his regret to everyone in the courtroom and that he prays for the victims every day.
He said, “I live in shame every day.” “I can’t stop feeling guilty. Due to my decisions, I lost all I held dear. Although I made some poor decisions that resulted in this, I’m not a monster.
However, his apologies did not ease the victims’ pain. Some said he should never see freedom again.
One woman who witnessed Hansen abusing her stepchildren stated, “Once you’re behind prison walls, no one will ever think of you.” Nobody is going to miss you ever. It will seem as though you never happened.
Even the maximum sentence “would not be a sufficient punishment for the victims,” according to Judge Blackwell. However, he claimed that 25 years would adequately safeguard the public and be consistent with penalties given in circumstances like these.
Blackwell imposed other requirements, such as treatment and close surveillance upon Hansen’s discharge. He consented to suggest that the prisoner carry out his term at a Minnesota institution; however, the Bureau of Prisons will ultimately decide where he is transferred.