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Press Release

Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 12.5 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 150 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors. Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud sentenced the defendant.

According to court documents, Gene Paul Schave, 50, is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 2010 in Minnesota state court for possessing child pornography. On October 3, 2019, while on supervised release for his previous conviction, Schave was found to be in possession of an Asus tablet that contained more than 3,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors.

On August 12, 2021, following a four-day trial, a federal jury convicted Schave on one count of possession of child pornography.

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 via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minneapolis Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily A. Polachek and Miranda E. Dugi.

Updated February 9, 2022

Topic
Project Safe Neighborhoods