Mower County Man Gets 5½ Years for Child Porn Convictions

Austin, MN (KROC-AM News) - A southeastern Minnesota man was sent to prison today for multiple child pornography convictions.

Plea Deal Results in Prison Sentence

41-year-old Jason Dean Vandeweerd appeared before a judge in Mower County this afternoon and was sentenced to just over 5½ years in prison. The Austin man entered guilty pleas to four child pornography charges in February through a plea agreement that resulted in the dismissal of 10 other charges, including one count involving the use of minors in a sexual performance or pornographic work. The dismissed charges also included two counts of illegal possession of firearms by a violent felon.

Cyber Tip Launched Investigation

Court records indicate that Vandeweerd was charged last September following an investigation that began in late June after the Austin Police Department received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip indicated that Microsoft had detected a user uploading multiple files containing child sexual abuse material.

According to the criminal complaint, investigators then obtained a subpoena that prompted T-Mobile to provide information identifying the user as Vandeweerd. The court document also indicates that he was previously required to register as a predatory offender.

Search Warrant Executed

The charges state that Austin police reviewed the files identified in the cyber tip and determined they contained child sexual abuse material involving the sexual abuse of young children. That led to a search of his home and the seizure of a variety of electronic devices and multiple firearms.

Get our free mobile app

Videos Depicted Sexual Assaults of Children

The criminal complaint says a forensic examination of the seized devices uncovered numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse material, including depictions of sexual assaults involving children as young as infants. The evidence also included a recording of a computer screen in Vandeweerd's residence displaying a sexually explicit livestream involving a young girl.

His sentencing order gives him credit for 256 days already served in jail. It also includes 15 years of conditional release following the completion of his prison sentence.

More Minnesota News:

• Rochester Man Accused of Possessing & Sharing Child Porn
• Rochester Childcare Center on List of New Fraud Indictments
• Minnesota Supreme Court Takes Up Chafoulias Estate Dispute