A court gavel
A Guilford man has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for allegedly coercing and threatening children, primarily boys, to send him sexually explicit photos of themselves, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Christopher Michaelson, 39, of Guilford, is accused of sexually assaulting a boy in Rhode Island several years ago.
Guilford police said Burrillville, Rhode Island detectives asked for their assistance in October 2018 while investigating sexual assault allegations. Michaelson was identified as a suspect.
Authorities said Michaelson was arrested on charges including child molestation, solicitation and enticement in Jan. 2019. Officers seized his phone during the arrest and found thousands of photos and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, primarily boys, between the ages of five and 15.
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Officers also found communication between Michaelson and children that he allegedly coerced, and he appeared to verbally abuse and threaten them. He also demanded the minors send sexually explicit images of themselves, according to officials.
It was later learned that Michaelson shared the photos with others. He's been in custody since his arrest and in March 2023, he plead guilty to producing child pornography.
On Thursday, Michaelson was sentenced to 26 years in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release.
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The Rhode Island state charges against Michaelson are pending.
