What started as a cybertip about disturbing online content has snowballed into a sprawling case spanning college hallways and rural highways in central Minnesota. A St. Cloud man is now facing a long list of felony charges connected to child pornography, an alleged campus assault, and a high-speed chase that ended in a violent crash.
Authorities say 21-year-old Dawson James Pawluk was arrested after investigators traced illicit images to an X account and carried out search warrants that turned up dozens of files. The arrest came on the heels of a reported assault at St. Cloud Technical and Community College and a separate hit-and-run that led to a high-speed pursuit in Crow Wing County. Pawluk is currently being held in the Stearns County jail as the intertwined cases move through local courts.
Investigation began with a cybertip
According to KNSI, the investigation started when the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children submitted a cybertip about an X account that allegedly contained illicit images. Acting on that information, investigators executed a search warrant on May 12, 2025, at a St. Cloud residence in the 2200 block of Veterans Drive.
Officers seized a laptop that authorities say contained 38 videos and 12 images of child sexual abuse material. Prosecutors also say text conversations found on the device show Pawluk discussing attempts to have sexual relations with a minor and referring to himself as a "pedo," according to the outlet.
Alleged assault on campus
That same day, police were dispatched to St. Cloud Technical and Community College after a student reported being assaulted, and the campus briefly went into lockdown, local coverage shows. As reported by WJON, the victim told officers Pawluk had assaulted him and scratched a derogatory word into the side of the victim's car with a key.
Court records cited by the station say officers later went back to Pawluk's residence but did not find him there that day.
High-speed flight and crash
Two days later, authorities say, the case jumped counties. Pawluk was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run at the intersection of state highways 210 and 371 and then led officers on a high-speed chase that ended when his vehicle crashed in Motley.
The Brainerd Dispatch reported that deputies followed the vehicle through Baxter, Pillager and Motley before the SUV struck a building, and local accounts say the pursuit hit speeds of more than 100 mph. Pawluk was taken into custody after the crash and treated for non‑life‑threatening injuries, according to local reporting.
Current custody and upcoming hearings
Stearns County's inmate roster lists "PAWLUK, DAWSON" with a booking date of 05/21/2026 and shows he is being held at the county jail. The roster notes that booking alone is not proof of guilt.
As reported by KNSI, Pawluk faces 11 felony counts of possessing child pornography on electronic media and four felony counts tied to possession with a prior conviction as a registered predatory offender involving a minor under 14. He is also charged with a felony count of first-degree damage to property, as well as additional assault and vehicle-related offenses. His pretrial hearing in Stearns County is scheduled for June 4, and an omnibus hearing in Crow Wing County is set for July 23.
Legal notes
The charges are split between Stearns and Crow Wing counties and will proceed through separate dockets, including arraignments, discovery and pretrial motion hearings. The FBI notes that NCMEC's CyberTipline functions as a national clearinghouse that often triggers multi‑agency investigations involving local police, state prosecutors and federal partners, which can extend case timelines.
Pawluk remains presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
