GUILFORD, Conn. — A 39-year-old Guilford man was sentenced on Thursday to 26 years in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for coercing and threating minors to send him sexually explicit images of themselves, according to prosecutors.
The Guilford Police Department assisted Burrillville, R.I. police with the arrest of Michaelson at his Guilford home on Rhode Island state charges for child molestation, solicitation, and enticement, according to court documents and statements made in court on Jan. 9, 2019.
Prosecutors said officers seized Michaelson’s cellphone during the arrest, and a court-authorized search of the device found thousands of images and videos showing the sexual abuse of children, mostly boys between five and 15 years old.
The phone also revealed communications between Michaelson and the minors he coerced to send sexually explicit images of themselves to him; he often verbally abused and threatened his victims, prosecutors said, adding that he shared some of the images with others.
Michaelson has been detained since his arrest, and he pleaded guilty to production of child pornography on March 16, 2023, prosecutors said. Charges against him in the state of Rhode Island are still pending, as of April 4.
RELATED: Bristol man threatens tow truck driver with firearm after nearly crashing into truck: State police
In addition to the Guilford Police Department and Burrillville Police Department, the investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office.
The case was prosecuted as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. Cases of child exploitation can be reported at the Cyber Tip Line.
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
---
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
