United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on January 19, 2022, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging that Smedley D. Butler (age: 50) of Maribel, Wisconsin, received and possessed child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252A(a)(2)(A) and 2252A(a)(5)(B).
According to the indictment, Butler is required to register as a sex offender under Wisconsin law due to a 2009 Manitowoc County conviction for possessing child pornography. Given his status as a sex offender, he faces a mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 40 years’ imprisonment if convicted of the receipt of child pornography charge. He faces a mandatory ten years’ imprisonment and up to 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted of the possession of child pornography charge. Butler could also be fined up to $250,000 on each count.
This case was investigated by the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Manitowoc Police Department, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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