United States of America v. Michael Melgaard

Lincoln, Nebraska criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant charged with two counts of attempted production of child pornography.



Beginning in January of 2022, an investigation involving Michael Melgaard, age 54, of Alda, Nebraska, was instituted. As a result of the investigation, several search warrants were received and executed for Melgaard's home and electronic devices. Melgaard's devices were downloaded and forensically analyzed. Approximately 14 images that met the federal definition of child pornography were located. During the investigation, Melgaard agreed to be interviewed multiple times. He admitted that he had been taking nude photographs of several minors aged 4-11. These photographs would happen while the minor victims would change their clothes, showered, or while they were asleep. He indicated that he would keep the images for a short period of time before deleting them.



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 Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.



This case was investigated by the Hall County Sheriff's Office, the Grand Island Police Department, and the Department of Homeland Security.



18:2251(a) ATTEMPTED PRODUCTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

(1s)

Defendant pleaded guilty to counts I and II of the Superseding Indictment and is committed to the custody of the United States Bureau of Prisons to be imprisoned on Count I, to a term of two hundred forty (240) months in prison and on Count II, to a term of two hundred forty (240) months in prison, with both counts to be served concurrently with one another; Supervised release with special conditions for a term of ten (10) years as to Count I, and (10) years as to Count II, with both counts to be served concurrently with one another; $200 Special Assessment; $6,000 AVAA Assessment; JVTA Assessment none imposed defendant found indigent.