Bismarck Deputy Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography

Michael David Rivera, a 29-year-old Deputy U.S. Marshal from Bismarck, North Dakota, has pleaded guilty to the receipt of child pornography, according to United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler.

Rivera’s guilty plea came on January 26, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson in Fargo. The charges carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The investigation began in June 2016 when Bismarck law enforcement discovered Rivera was surreptitiously recording women, including juveniles, in area stores. His apartment and vehicle were searched, leading to the seizure of a computer containing child pornography files.

Rivera faces state charges for the recordings separate from the federal case. The South Dakota U.S. Attorney’s Office is handling the federal prosecution after the North Dakota office recused itself.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher will lead the prosecution, with sentencing scheduled for April 18, 2017. Rivera was remanded to North Dakota state custody pending his trial on the state charges.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Bismarck Police Department, and the North Dakota Crime Bureau’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.