South Dakota Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Producing and Distributing Child Pornography

A South Dakota man was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for producing and distributing child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Seiler of the District of South Dakota. 

Christopher R. Jansen, 35, of Selby, South Dakota, pleaded guilty on Nov. 17, 2015, to one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of distribution of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors.  U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange of the District of South Dakota sentenced Jansen today and also ordered him to serve a lifetime term of supervised release.

In connection with his plea, Jansen, who is a lawyer, admitted that he sexually abused multiple minors, who were children of one of his clients, over a period of approximately two years and produced videos and photos of the abuse.  Jansen also admitted that he was a member of an Internet website dedicated to the advertisement and distribution of child sexual exploitation material, through which he and others posted messages containing images of the sexual exploitation of children, including one of Jansen’s victims. 

Jansen was arrested on July 29, 2014, following searches of his home and law office.  On Sept. 25, 2015, Jansen was sentenced in Hughes County, South Dakota, to serve 50 years in prison for two counts of first degree rape for related conduct.

The FBI and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office and the Mobridge Police Department.  Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Keith Becker of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher of the District of South Dakota prosecuted the case. 

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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.