ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. – An Orion Township man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for distributing images of child pornography over the internet to trade with other child predators.
Aaron Robert Muhlitner, 27, pleaded guilty to sending images of minors engaged in sexual acts to another person to induce that person to send similar photos.
The 27-year-old man used the Kik messaging app to trade the images.
The discovery occurred when an individual who knew Muhlitner found a phone belonging to him and reviewed it.
The person discovered images of child pornography and a conversation in which Muhlitner bragged about sexually assaulting a child in a manner that was similar to a sexual assault that he had previously been accused of committing.
The phone was later turned over to the police for examination. Officials found numerous images of child pornography and multiple instances in which Muhlitner bragged about sexually assaulting children or expressing a desire to engage in sex acts with children.
The 27-year-old man’s phone contained 212 images and 58 videos of child pornography.
“Child pornography victimizes the most vulnerable and innocent in our community, and protecting children from predators remains a critical mission for our office,” said United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “Our community is now safer with this defendant’s lengthy sentence.”
“The significance of this sentence underscores the importance of keeping innocent children safe from dangerous predators and serves as a warning to those individuals who prey upon the most vulnerable in our society,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “I would like to thank our law enforcement partners for their critical support in this investigation. The FBI continues to dedicate resources to the investigation and prosecution of sexual predators who commit crimes against children.”
“This person and his disgusting and abhorrent criminal behavior with children has rightfully been held accountable for his actions,” said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard. “I greatly appreciate the teamwork with our federal partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing this case to closure.”
