GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Jeffrey David Paprocki, 33, from Muskegon, Michigan was sentenced to serve 300 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for producing pictures of his sexual assault of a 7-year-old child.
U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff also imposed 10 years of supervised release following his release from custody. In sentencing Paprocki to serve 25 years in prison, Judge Neff expressed her desire to protect the community and send a strong message of deterrence to others. Paprocki was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
A deputy with the Winnebago County, Wisconsin, Sheriff’s Office was working undercover in a messaging application that is commonly used by individuals interested in sexually abusing children. The deputy identified Paprocki as someone who possessed and distributed child pornography. In a separate investigation by the FBI in Connecticut, an undercover FBI agent engaged in a chat conversation with an individual who was boasting that he was sexually assaulting a 7-year-old child. During that conversation, the individual stated that he planned on assaulting the child later that night. The FBI initiated emergency procedures to identify the person and locate him. The FBI connected the new case with the lead identified by the deputy in Wisconsin and that same day secured a search warrant. Paprocki confessed to sexually assaulting the child and to producing pictures of the assault. He was arrested that night and initially charged in a federal criminal complaint.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed federal charges against Paprocki for the production and possession of child pornography. The Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office charged Paprocki for the sexual assault of the 7-year-old child. As part of a joint resolution, Paprocki pleaded guilty to production and possession of child pornography in federal court and agreed to plead guilty to the sexual assault charge in Muskegon County.
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten stated, “Mr. Paprocki’s conduct is horrific. This child depended on Mr. Paprocki and he abused that dependence for his own sexual pleasure. My office, working with our partners, will find and hold child exploiters accountable.”
“Protecting children from dangerous child predators is a priority for the FBI. The crimes committed by these offenders cause incalculable damage to their young victims,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Today’s sentence, in combination with the sentence he is facing in state court, holds Mr. Paprocki accountable for his conduct and ensures he cannot harm any more children. Cases like this one illustrate the commitment of the FBI and its law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and hold predators like him 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. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Mekaru, in cooperation with the Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office, and investigated by Winnebago County, Wisconsin, Sheriff’s Office, FBI in Connecticut, and WEBCHEX – “West Michigan Based Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force,” a partnership of FBI, Michigan State Police, and local agencies dedicated to investigating offenses against children.
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