A Burton man, Nicholas Dunn, 42, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for his role in sexually exploiting children. This sentencing, detailed in court documents, came after Dunn pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Following his prison term, Dunn will also face five years of federal supervised release, as stated in announcements made by the United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison and Homeland Security Investigations Detroit's Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar.
The initial lead in the case came from an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent who observed, in December 2022, Dunn's co-defendant, Preston Creed-Boehm, post an image of child pornography. This observation set off a chain of events that ultimately led to the arrests. Creed-Boehm has been charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and additional counts related to the distribution and possession of child pornography. His case, alongside that of another co-defendant, Joshua Hippensteel, is still pending. This information came to light in a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to the WNEM report, the investigation spanned several months and involved the cooperation of federal and local agencies. Detective Lt. Robert Nickleson with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office described Dunn's actions “The actions that Dunn had during the course of this were so heinous,” and emphasized the ongoing effort to uncover and halt such exploitation of children, further stating, “This kind of action is not acceptable. These kids didn’t deserve this to happen to them, and it’s our responsibility to protect them. It takes a community to protect the children, and it’s our obligation to do so.”
"This defendant’s actions were heinous, and the sentence underscores our office’s commitment to bringing to justice those who sexually exploit and victimize children," said U.S. Attorney Ison, affirming the collaborative nature of the law enforcement efforts, as per U.S. Attorney's Office.
Furthermore, HSI Detroit's Angie M. Salazar hoped that the stern sentencing would serve to somehow offer a measure of solace for the victims to be able to start healing and Detective Lt. Robert Nickleson also urged the public to remain vigilant, encouraging those aware of child abuse to reach out.
