Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Manitowoc, Wisconsin man has pleaded guilty to producing a video depicting his sexual abuse of a minor in Minnesota, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on or about June 7, 2019, Jason Lee, 28, used and coerced a prepubescent minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.

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. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.  

Lee pleaded guilty on July 17, 2023, in U.S. District Court before Judge Donovan W. Frank to one count of attempted production and production of child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Saint Paul Police Department, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.