Minneapolis man sentenced to county workhouse for possession of child sexual abuse material

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man found with 1,500 computer files depicting child abuse and three child sex dolls was sentenced to the workhouse instead of prison time this week.

Jeffrey Scott Valstad, 55, appeared before Judge Marta Chou in a Hennepin County District Court Monday where a 24-month prison sentence was stayed for three years as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.

The deal dismisses five of six felony charges against Valstad for possessing pornographic work of a child under 14 and sentences him to 12 days in the Hennepin County Workhouse. He will be able to serve that on work release, if he is eligible.

Valstad must also register as predatory offender in Minnesota.

Investigators with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension initially received a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that Valstad had uploaded child sexual abuse material to Google’s file storage infrastructure.

While executing a search warrant at Valstad’s Minneapolis home, BCA agents found three child-sized dolls dressed in children’s clothing with replica female genitals and anus.

Two of the doll’s simulated genitals were heavily damaged, particularly the buttocks region.

A cell phone recovered by BCA agents contained over 1,500 files of child sexual abuse material. Agents also found over 22,000 files that were child exploitive on the same phone. The files did not meet the state definition of child sexual abuse material but did depict children in various stages of undress and posed in sexual positions.

The six files Valstad was charged for depicted girls between 4 and 9 years old.

As part of his sentence, Valstad is barred from using the internet or unsupervised contact with children without the approval of his probation officer. He must also submit to random searches of his person, electronics, vehicle and home and attend a sex offender program.

***For help following a sexual assault, please visit the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault to find advocacy and medical services.***