Collin Patrick Valenti, Child Pornography Attempt, Michigan 2024

DETROIT – Collin Patrick Valenti, 25, of Garden City, Michigan, is headed to federal prison for 15 years after pleading guilty to a depraved attempt to obtain child pornography. The sentence, handed down by United States District Judge Victoria A. Roberts, reflects the gravity of his actions, which included a direct request to an undercover federal agent to create and distribute horrific imagery.

The case, announced by United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison and James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, details a chilling pattern of behavior. Valenti didn’t just *request* the images; he specifically targeted someone he believed to be a parent, intending they create a video depicting a sex act involving their minor child. Thankfully, that person was an undercover officer, preventing actual harm.

But the solicitation was only the tip of the iceberg. Investigators uncovered evidence of prior, hands-on abuse of a young child. Further digging revealed Valenti’s disturbing habit of posing as a teenage girl online, preying on a minor teenage boy to solicit sexually explicit photographs. The extent of his depravity is staggering, with admissions of seeking similar images from approximately 50 other individuals he *believed* to be parents of children.

“This offender requested that another individual create a horrific image of sexual abuse,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “We can only be thankful that he was communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer and not another abuser so that he could not cause harm to another minor. This office will continue to work with law enforcement agencies as they proactively work to find and stop those who seek to exploit and abuse children.” The near-miss highlights the vital work of undercover operations in disrupting these predators before they can act on their impulses.

The investigation was spearheaded by the Northeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force of the FBI, demonstrating a focused effort to combat this specific type of crime. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne successfully prosecuted the case, securing a sentence that, while it cannot undo the damage Valenti attempted, sends a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated.

Valenti’s 15-year sentence is a harsh but necessary punishment for a man who actively sought to exploit and endanger vulnerable children. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on efforts to dismantle networks of child predators and hold them accountable for their monstrous acts.