Paul Clement, a 41-year-old resident of Bloomer, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for the transportation of child pornography. This decision was made by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson and will be followed by a 20-year period of supervised release. Clement had previously pleaded guilty to the charge on November 26, 2024.
The investigation led by agents from the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations revealed that on January 10, 2024, Clement uploaded thirteen files containing child sexual abuse material to Google Photos. He also emailed three of these files to another email address under his control. The files included videos showing the sexual assault of girls aged between eight and twelve by adult men. During an interview with agents, Clement confessed to receiving such videos through a social networking site focused on sexual fetishes and admitted using it for roleplaying scenarios involving child sexual abuse.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson noted that Clement showed "a real and enduring interest in children," justifying a substantial sentence. The judge also pointed out Clement's criminal record and previous inappropriate conduct with children as aggravating factors. This includes a conviction for sexual assault of a child in Wisconsin in 2005.
The charge against Clement resulted from an investigation conducted by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a national initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating federal, state, and local resources to apprehend offenders and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
