FOX VALLEY (NBC 26) — A federal grand jury has indicted John D. Schaefer, 34, of Menasha and Oshkosh on a count of child pornography production and distribution in violation of Title 18.
In a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Schaefer allegedly employed and used a minor for the purpose of creating a "visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct" in August of 2020. The release further alleges that on or about September 21, 2021, Schaefer distributed a digital video depicting the sexual assault of a prepubescent child.
If convicted, Schaefer faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years imprisonment and a maximum of 30 years. He faces up to 40 years imprisonment on a distribution charge and faces up to a $250,000 fine on each count.
Investigated by the City of Menasha Police Department and the City of Oshkosh Police Department, the case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
