HARTFORD — A Guilford man was sentenced to 26 years in prison today for his crimes involving the coercion and exploitation of minors to produce sexually explicit material, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
Christopher Michaelson, 39, faced U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea and received a 312-month prison term, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release for his offenses.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery announced the sentencing, highlighting the severity of Michaelson’s actions.
Court documents and statements presented during the sentencing revealed that Michaelson’s arrest on Jan. 9, 2019, by the Guilford Police Department and Burrillville Police was the result of a collaborative effort to address his illicit activities.
Michaelson, who was charged with child molestation, solicitation, and enticement in Rhode Island, was taken into custody at his Guilford home.
A search of Michaelson’s cellphone, authorized by the court, uncovered thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse.
The victims, primarily boys aged five to 15, had been coerced into sending sexually explicit material to Michaelson, who frequently resorted to verbal abuse and threats.
Some of the illicit images were also distributed to others by Michaelson.
Since his arrest, Michaelson has been in detention.
He entered a guilty plea to one count of production of child pornography on March 16.
While Michaelson’s federal sentencing has been concluded, he still faces pending state charges in Rhode Island.
The investigation into his activities was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, the Guilford Police Department, and the Burrillville Police Department.
