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25 years in prison for convicted pedophile from Minneapolis who coerced girls to produce child porn

One of his victims was 8 years old at the time.

By Paul Walsh

The Minnesota Star Tribune

May 17, 2024 at 10:15PM

A previously convicted pedophile from Minneapolis has been given a 25-year prison term for coercing girls as young as 8 years old to produce child pornography over social media.

Nelson Thomas Harner, 41, was sentenced in U.S. District Court Wednesday after pleading guilty to one count of coercion and enticement in connection to connecting with his young victims on Instagram and Facebook and coaxing them into sex acts for the purpose of him producing pornography.

In 2018, Harner was convicted in Hennepin County District Court of twice sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl he knew. He was sentenced to a four-year term.

According to the plea agreement in the federal case:

Over several months in 2019, Harner connected directly with three girls — ages 8, 12 and 14 — and persuaded them to expose themselves and take photos. During this time, he reached out to more than 100 girls ages 8 to 18 through on Instagram, Facebook and texting.

He also sent many videos and photos of child pornography to someone he thought might be similarly interested in viewing them.

Ahead of sentencing, prosecutors argued in a court filing for Harner to receive a life sentence for inflicting “a lifelong sentence of recovering and healing for his victims.”

One victim, identified in the filing as “Lily,” said circulation of her images “causes an unending grief,” hinders her ability to sleep and cuts her off socially.

Prosecutors also pointed out to the court that Harner’s online hunt for victims started within two months of him missing sex offender treatment that was part of his Hennepin County sentence.

“Fresh out of learning firsthand how awful prison can be,” the prosecution wrote, “he again elected not to control himself, or he was incapable of it. ... The court should assume he is going to be every bit as dangerous the day he is released as he is today.”

Defense attorney James Becker countered in writing for Harner to receive 10 years in prison, which “would be sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to serve the many statutory goals of sentencing.”

This case was brought as part of Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative started in 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project coordinates federal, state and local efforts to better prosecute people who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information, visit Project Safe Childhood at justice.gov/psc.