May 29, 2024 - FRESNO, Calif. — Claus Svelmo Marcuslund, 59, of Odense, Denmark, was sentenced on Tuesday to 14 years in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release for his conviction of one count of distribution of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

“To vindicate victims of child exploitation and bring criminals to justice, our law enforcement and our communities must work together in partnership across county, state, and national borders,” U.S. Attorney Talbert said. “Our office is committed to protect our children and hold offenders accountable.”

“We will do everything in our investigative power to bring to justice those who seek to hurt children,” said San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. “This sentence holds Marcuslund accountable for his crimes and serves as a warning for those who travel to the United States specifically to abuse a child. HSI and its partners will work diligently to investigate and prosecute these heinous criminals, regardless of location around the world. HSI Fresno appreciates the work of HSI Attaché Frankfurt, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Central Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their joint effort in this investigation.”  

According to court documents, in January 2023, Marcuslund contacted an undercover agent who had created the profile of a mother with a seven-year-old daughter, on a dark-web site dedicated to persons interested in pedophilia. Marcuslund told the agent “I’m Scandinavian, professional music producer/songwriter and lyricist and yeah, I’m also a pedophile.” He also stated that “I’m divorced and now searching [for] a nice woman/mom to get to know better, hopefully with the potential of getting together in real life one day. Obviously, she must be 100% supportive of pedophilia and incest.” During the next several months Marcuslund sent messages to the agent through the website’s messaging feature, as well as the fully encrypted Telegram application. Marcuslund explained in graphic detail the sexual acts in which he hoped to engage with the mother and child. During those communications, he sent between 300 and 600 images of adults sexually abusing young children. He also discussed having another child with the mother and molesting the newborn.

Marcuslund flew from Copenhagen to the Los Angeles International Airport and then to Fresno. On July 11, 2023, agents arrested him upon arrival at the Fresno International Airport. On Feb. 20, 2024, Marcuslund pleaded guilty.

This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Central Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa prosecuted 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 exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Source: DOJ Release