Registered Sex Offender Sentenced To 18 Years In Prison For Receipt Of Child Pornography

United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald announced the sentencing of PAUL LEWIS AXELSON, 42, a registered sex offender, to 216 months in prison on one count of receipt of child pornography. AXELSON, who pleaded guilty on February 13, 2018, was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

According to his guilty plea and documents filed in court, AXELSON was convicted in 2008 in Dakota County, Minnesota of third degree criminal sexual conduct and possession of child pornography. In April 2016, while on probation for the 2008 conviction, AXELSON used file sharing software to download, collect, and distribute child pornography. A forensic review of AXELSON’S computer revealed that he possessed more than 160,000 image and video files containing child pornography.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, launched in May 2006, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  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.  In addition, if you know of any child who may have been a victim of exploitation, please contact the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or visit NCMEC’s web site at www.missingkids.com.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Minneapolis Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Kayser.

Defendant Information:

PAUL LEWIS AXELSON, 42

Hastings, Minn.

Convicted:

• Receipt of child pornography, 1 count

Sentenced:

• 216 months in prison
• 10 years of supervised release

# # #

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600