Michael Liedtke, Enticing Underage Boy to Produce Sexually Explicit Videos, Illinois 2020

A Streamwood man was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for enticing a 16-year-old boy to produce sexually explicit videos, authorities announced today.

Michael Liedtke, 35, pleaded guilty last year to one count of receipt of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo imposed a sentence of six years and eleven months in federal prison, the office said.

Liedtke admitted in a plea agreement that in December 2016 he enticed the 16-year-old boy to create two sexually explicit videos and send them to Liedtke via cellphone, the office said.

During a court-authorized search of Liedtke’s home last year, law enforcement discovered an external disk drive that contained 29 images and six videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, the office said.

Each of the children depicted in the images and videos was identified as a known child victim by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the office said.

Liedtke also admitted in the plea agreement that in January 2019 he possessed and operated a video camera that he intentionally hid in the ceiling of a public restroom at the DuPage County Training Academy in Carol Stream, the office said.

Recordings from the camera depicted the unclothed body parts of approximately 400 people using the restroom, including approximately 300 children under the age of 18, the office said.

Liedtke acknowledged in the plea agreement that he placed the video camera in the restroom to obtain the images, the office said.

After Liedtke pleaded guilty in federal court, the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office moved to dismiss the parallel state criminal charges filed against Liedtke.

“My office will continue to prosecute and hold accountable those individuals who prey upon our youth,” said U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr.  “We appreciate the outstanding work of our colleagues at the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office, as well as our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, who worked together to bring justice on behalf of the victims in this case.”

“Thanks to the coordinated efforts of law enforcement and prosecutorial partners at all levels, Mr. Liedtke will be held accountable for victimizing hundreds of our community's most vulnerable citizens,” said FBI Acting Deputy SAC Douglas S. Beidler.  “The FBI will always strive to safeguard our youth from those who seek to exploit them.”

“I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office for their work in removing this sexual predator from society,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said.  “Mr. Liedtke’s deviant actions demonstrate his complete disregard for others and society as a whole.  While this has been a very disturbing case, Mr. Liedtke’s guilty plea and nearly seven-year sentence underscores the close partnership shared by local and federal authorities working together to keep our communities safe.”

Defendant: Michael Liedtke

Criminal Charges: Receipt of child pornography

City and State: Streamwood, Illinois

Exact Date: The crime occurred in December 2016 and the sentencing took place today

Sentence: Six years and eleven months in federal prison

Dollar Amounts: None

Source: U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/streamwood-man-sentenced-nearly-7-years-prison-enticing-underage-boy-produce-sexually