(KNSI) – A St. Cloud resident has been charged with several felony counts of allegedly possessing dozens of pornographic files on his computer, as well as numerous other charges of assault and fleeing the scene of an accident.
21-year-old Dawson James Pawluk is facing 11 felony counts of possessing child pornography on electronic media, and an additional four felony counts of possession with a prior conviction as a registered predatory offender involving a minor under the age of 14.
Pawluk is also facing a felony charge of first-degree damage to property and a gross misdemeanor charge of fifth-degree assault in Stearns County. He is also facing felony charges of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, a gross misdemeanor charge of criminal vehicular operation resulting in bodily harm and leaving the scene of a collision, and a misdemeanor charge of failure to stop for a traffic control signal in Crow Wing County.
The case originated from a tip provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which indicated that a specific account on the social platform X contained several illicit images. After an investigation, law enforcement determined the account belonged to Pawluk.
Investigators executed a search warrant on May 12, 2025, at Pawluk’s residence in the 2200 block of Veterans Drive in St. Cloud. Upon seizing his laptop and extracting its data, authorities discovered 38 videos and 12 images containing illicit material. The data also revealed text conversations in which Pawluk discussed previously attempting to have sexual relations with a minor, during which he referred to himself as a “pedo.”
On the same day as the warrant, at around 12:04 p.m., officers from the St. Cloud Police Department were dispatched to St. Cloud Technical College regarding an assault. Upon arrival, officers spoke to the victim, who said Pawluk had assaulted him on campus before carving a derogatory word into the side of his car with a key. Pawluk then fled the scene at a speed officers were unable to match. Officers then returned to his residence to execute a search warrant on a separate matter; Pawluk, however, was not found at home.
On May 14, Pawluk was involved in a hit-and-run accident at the intersection of State Highways 210 and 371 in Crow Wing County. Pawluk reportedly fled at speeds up to 120 mph before crashing, at which point he was taken into custody. When asked by an officer why he did not stop, Pawluk replied that he already had charges pending and expressed indifference toward having more added.
Pawluk is currently being held at Stearns County Jail. He is set to appear for a pretrial hearing in Stearns County on Thursday, June 4, and for an omnibus hearing in Crow Wing County on Thursday, July 23.
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