United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on March 1, 2022, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against Darwin J. Pamanet (age: 46) of Keshena, which is located on the Menominee Indian Reservation in Northeastern Wisconsin. The indictment charges him with three counts of aggravated sexual abuse, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2241(c) and 1153(a); one count of sexual exploitation of a child, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a); and one count of possession of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(5)(B).
If convicted of the offenses, the defendant would face the following terms of imprisonment:
|
Charge |
Maximum Penalty |
|
Aggravated Sexual Abuse |
Mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison, and up to life in prison |
|
Sexual Exploitation of a Child |
Mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, and up to 30 years in prison |
|
Possession of Child Pornography |
Up to 20 years in prison |
In addition to the prison sentences listed above, the defendant faces fines and periods of supervised release if convicted.
According to filed court documents, from July 2021 through December 2021, the defendant allegedly committed sexual acts with three children who were under the age of 12 years old and recorded himself performing the sex acts with at least one of the children. A search of an electronic device revealed images of child pornography believed to be the child victims.
The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700