United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
08/19/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/19/2022 15:21
Manitowoc County Sex Offender Sentenced for Possession of Child Pornography
Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 17, 2022, Smedley D. Butler (age: 51) of Maribel, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by Senior District Judge William C. Griesbach.
In November of 2021, the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office received a tip which led to Butler's arrest for possessing and distributing numerous digital images and videos of child pornography via the internet. At the time of his arrest, Butler was a registrant with the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Program based on a 2009 conviction for possession of child pornography.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the charge, the effect these crimes have on their victims, and the need for just punishment. Following his release from prison, Butler will spend 15 years on supervised release. He will continue to be required to register as a sexual offender.
This case was investigated by the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office with the assistance of the Manitowoc Police Department and the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel R. Humble and Timothy W. Funnell.
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. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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