United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on March 7, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two count indictment alleging that Colton H. Nelson (age: 24) of Menasha, Wisconsin, distributed child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2)(A).
According to documents filed with the court, Nelson used file sharing software to distribute digital videos and images of child pornography to undercover law enforcement. A subsequent search of Nelson’s residence revealed thousands of images and videos containing child pornography located on electronic devices in his possession. Nelson faces a mandatory 5 years’ imprisonment and up to 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted of either distribution charge. Nelson may also be fined up to $250,000 on each count.
This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys