Robert Duane Wicke, Child Exploitation, Michigan 2022

A Lansing man has been sentenced to life in prison for attempting to coerce and entice children to engage in sex acts. Robert Duane Wicke, 60, was found guilty of attempting to coerce and entice children to engage in sex acts, distributing child pornography videos, and possessing a collection of child pornography.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Wicke was caught after a special agent with the FBI posed as a mother in California with two young daughters. Wicke sought out children to sexually abuse and wanted the mother to bring the girls to him so he could sexually assault them and train them to be sex slaves.

The agent discovered that Wicke had sent the mother videos of other children being abused and raped, and wanted the videos to be shared with the 7-year-old and 9-year-old girls as part of a grooming effort to desensitize the children to sex.

On March 21, 2022, Wicke traveled from his home in Lansing to a hotel in Grand Rapids as part of his plan to fly the mother and children from California to Michigan. Instead of meeting the mother and the victims, Wicke was greeted by federal agents. A subsequent search of his digital devices disclosed his collection of child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Jane M. Beckering sentenced Wicke to life in prison, expressing her dismay at Wicke’s long history of sexually abusing children and the extraordinary risk he posed to children. The judge described Wicke’s conduct as ‘very very serious’ and said it was among the worst she had seen in her 14 years as a judge.

The sentences for the child pornography offenses will be served concurrently with the life sentence. Wicke was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release should he be released early from custody.

U.S. Attorney Mark Totten stated, ‘Mr. Wicke’s depraved actions are beyond words. I am grateful for the FBI’s work to protect children. Today and every day we will hold child predators accountable.’

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children.