Zachariah R. Breihof, 28, of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, was sentenced on July 28 by U.S. District Judge Byron B. Conway to 84 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of transportation of child pornography, according to a July 30 announcement from Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Court documents show that in January 2025, Breihof became the subject of a CyberTip indicating he had uploaded approximately 130 images of child pornography to a popular cloud storage platform. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence and found more than 28,000 files containing suspected child pornography and an additional 5,000 files identified as “high-risk” child pornography on his electronic devices.
Judge Conway described the crime as extremely serious and said the types of images possessed and transported by Breihof are “reviled by every culture.” He stated that Breihof exhibits “impulse problems,” and emphasized the need to protect the public and deter similar conduct in the future. After serving his seven-year prison sentence, Breihof will be under supervised release for ten years and must register as a sex offender under state and federal law.
“Every image of child pornography is a graphic memorialization of a child being abused,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Schimel. “The abuse of children to create these images is driven by the demand from those who seek and view these materials. We have no higher priority than protecting our children, and Federal, state and local authorities will continue to aggressively pursue and lock up those who traffic in this vile trade.”
Manitowoc Police Chief John R. Musial II said, “Crimes against children remain one of the highest priorities for the Manitowoc Police Department… I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to the United States Attorney’s Office for its steadfast partnership… Holding offenders accountable requires strong collaboration between local and federal law enforcement… Thank you for your exceptional service and unwavering dedication to the pursuit of justice.”
This case was investigated by the Manitowoc Police Department with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble as part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating online exploitation crimes against children.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin serves Eastern Wisconsin as part of its mission within the U.S. Department of Justice; it ensures public safety through impartial justice delivery while working alongside federal, state, local, and tribal partners across community safety efforts, according to the official website.