Sacramento Sex Offender Indicted for Possessing Child Pornography

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Jason Michael Carlsen, 49, of Sacramento, charging him with possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in July 2022, Carlsen was found to be in possession of child pornography. At the time he possessed these images, Carlsen was on federal supervised release for a prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography.

If convicted, Carlsen faces a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.