Minneapolis officer honored for fighting sex crimes

Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune

Dale Hanson

Minneapolis officer Dale Hanson is the investigator of the year, says the state Sex Crimes Investigators group.

By Anthony Lonetree, Star Tribune

Last update: September 30, 2009 - 11:07 PM

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With an ever-ready supply of computer files to examine, and child pornography search warrants to execute, Minneapolis police officer Dale Hanson has plenty to keep him busy in the City Hall crime lab.

But as a member of the Minnesota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, he also knows who is trading child pornography across the state. And five times recently, a supervisor said, he's worked both on and off duty to spark investigations that would uncover the abuse of nine previously unknown victims.

For his efforts, Hanson, a 12-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department, was honored Wednesday night as sex crimes investigator of the year by a state association representing both on-street and online sex crimes investigators.

Bryon Fuerst, president of the Minnesota Sex Crimes Investigators Association, said that Hanson, unlike most investigators, can be proactive rather than reactive, and he made the most of it by leading authorities to new victims and ensuring "their victimization was stopped."

Among the suspects in the five cases cited Wednesday was an outstate man who investigators learned had sexually assaulted two foster children. At the time of the investigation, the suspect was trying to adopt other children, said St. Paul Police Commander Neil Nelson, who leads the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

In his letter nominating Hanson for the state award, Nelson wrote: "Officer Hanson has used all the weapons in his forensic arsenal and stays on the cutting edge of technical advances to keep our children safe from sexual predators."

Worthy endeavor

Hanson, who works for both the task force and Minneapolis police, joined the state group about five years ago while being trained in computer forensics, he said. Stopping people from trading pornography and soliciting minors for sex online seemed a good way to apply the new skills, he added.

Two weeks ago at the crime lab, Hanson pulled up maps showing where the 305 cases he'd investigated as part of the task force had originated. They also showed where he believes thousands more people have made available for distribution at least one computer file of child-porn videos and/or images.

At the time, a visitor was there to speak with him about investigations that Hanson had led himself, including a search last month of an Otsego home. But he was quick to credit others. Hanson said that two state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents accompanied him in Otsego, and that they often invite him along when executing warrants in cases he has referred to the BCA.

"There is a common goal to get the bad guy," Hanson said. "You don't really need the credit for it."

Also honored Wednesday was the Big Stone County Sheriff's Office for its work on the August 2008 stabbings of a mother and her 6-year-old daughter. Discovery of the two attacks, which also included the sexual assault of the little girl, unfolded separately on the same day, Fuerst said, requiring investigators to work multiple crime scenes.

But by day's end, he added, the suspect was behind bars. The man since has been convicted of criminal sexual conduct and attempted murder, and is to be sentenced later this month.

Anthony Lonetree • 612-673-4109