Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on September 4, 2026, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Brandon M. Lemerond (Age 21) to 180 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for Receiving Obscene Visual Depictions of Child Pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1466A(a)(1).According to court documents and arguments presented in court, the Manitowoc Police Department received a referral from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding images that were sent and received by a username associated with Lemerond. Further investigation revealed that Lemerond was engaging with underage victims via the internet and soliciting images of child sexual abuse material. Lemerond is a sex offender registrant in the State of Wisconsin based on a 2023 conviction in Manitowoc County for Possession of Child Pornography. Judge Griesbach described Lemerond’s crime as an extremely serious offense. Judge Griesbach noted a strong need to protect the public and to deter Lemerond and others from engaging in similar criminal behavior in the future. Judge Griesbach determined that a sentence of 15 years (180 months) imprisonment was appropriate. Following his release from federal prison, Lemerond will serve 6 years on supervised release and will continue to be required to register as a sex offender under state and federal law. “This defendant was on probation for prior state child pornography convictions for barely a year when these offenses occurred,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel. “He clearly cannot or will not control his abhorrent behavior. The only way to protect our children from this predator is to lock him up for a very long time. Thanks to the excellent work by our law enforcement and prosecution team, that mission is accomplished.”“This sentence is an important outcome and shows the importance of holding repeat offenders accountable” stated Manitowoc Police Chief John Musial. “Our detectives conducted a thorough investigation and worked diligently to bring this offender to justice. The 180-month prison sentence will help protect our community from further harm. I’m proud of the work our detectives did and grateful for the strong partnership with the Department of Justice throughout this case."This case was investigated by the Manitowoc Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel R. Humble and Timothy W. Funnell.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.# # #For further information contact:Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero steven.caballero@usdoj.govFollow us on X
Source: U.S. Department of Justice