Ricky T. Olson, Child Pornography Receipt, WI 2019

Ricky T. Olson, 60, of Gays Mills, Wisconsin, is headed to federal prison for 13 years after admitting he solicited and distributed child pornography through Snapchat. Sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley, Olson pleaded guilty on January 7, 2019, to one count of receipt of child pornography—a crime that exposed the depths of his calculated exploitation of a minor.

The scheme began in February 2015, when Olson created a fake identity to manipulate a child over Snapchat. Under this false persona, he lured the victim into sending sexually explicit images and videos. But Olson didn’t stop at collecting the material—he escalated by sending the child graphic images of himself and shared the child’s videos with another Snapchat user, amplifying the abuse.

Judge Conley delivered a firm sentence, citing Olson’s extensive criminal history, the premeditated use of deception, and the active redistribution of the illicit material. The court emphasized that Olson wasn’t a passive consumer—he was a predator who weaponized digital platforms to exploit and spread child sexual abuse material.

Federal and local investigators dismantled Olson’s secret life through a joint probe by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Digital forensics traced Olson’s false online identity back to his home, unmasking a pattern of predatory behavior that spanned years.

Prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Przybylinski Finn, Diane Schlipper, and Julie Pfluger, who pushed for accountability in a case that underscores the evolving threat of tech-facilitated child exploitation. No plea deal softened the blow—Olson now faces over a decade behind bars, followed by lifelong supervision.

The case sends a hard message: hiding behind a screen won’t shield predators from federal justice. For the victim, the scars remain. For Ricky T. Olson, the sentence is 13 years—time to reflect on the damage he caused and the lives he violated.