ST. PAUL - United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Christopher Allan Amelsberg, 36, of Minneapolis, pleaded guilty to the production and attempted production of child pornography.

Amelsberg pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud on July 27, 2026. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date, and Amelsberg faces a statutory minimum sentence of 25 years' imprisonment.

According to court documents, Amelsberg admitted that between August 2023 through around May 2026, he used text messaging and other internet-based social media and communication applications to engage female minor victims in sexually focused conversations for the purposes of producing or attempting to produce child pornography.

In one case, from August 2025 to October 2025, Amelsberg used online messaging platforms to engage in sexually focused conversations and to solicit and direct Minor Victim 1, of whom Amelsberg knew was 15 years old at the time, to produce videos and images of Minor Victim 1 performing sexually explicit conduct.

Amelsberg knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced multiple victims between the ages of 14 and 17 years old and admitted to "trading" lascivious or sexually explicit images of children. The United States has identified a total of at least 12 minor victims of whom Amelsberg solicited and enticed, or attempted to solicit and entice, to produce child pornography and engage in unlawful sexual acts.

At the time of this conduct, Amelsberg was on the Minnesota Predatory Offender Registry due to his prior conviction for possession of child pornography.

"Amelsberg is a child predator, and today's plea is an important step towards justice for the victims and families he harmed," said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. "Protecting children is our office's highest priority, and we will continue working with federal and law enforcement to hold accountable those who prey on them."

"Identifying and holding online predators accountable for their actions is one of the BCA's highest priorities," said Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. "Predators like Amelsberg target the most vulnerable members of our society, our children. We must do everything we can to stop them, bring them to justice, and support the victims and families whose lives they have forever changed."

"For years, and while being a registered sex offender, Christopher Amelsberg sexually exploited at least a dozen children from his home in Minneapolis," said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "Even after a previous state conviction for possessing child sexual abuse material, this defendant did not learn his lesson. Federal charges for child sexual exploitation come with significant mandatory minimum penalties to hold child predators accountable. The FBI, BCA, and our law enforcement partners around Minnesota have and will continue to work together tirelessly to stop child predators, rescue child victims from abuse and exploitation, and help victims on their path to recovery."

Investigators believe there may be additional child victims of Amelsberg's online sexual exploitation activity. If you or your child has information about online exploitation committed by Christopher Allan Amelsberg, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or submit information to tips.fbi.gov.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI Minneapolis Division with assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Austin L. Bowyer.

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.