United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced that Robert D. Nytes, a 49-year-old resident of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to 300 months in federal prison for receipt of child pornography. The sentence was handed down by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach on January 17, 2025.
Court records reveal that Nytes is a lifetime registrant on the Wisconsin Sexual Offender Registry due to a conviction in 1995 for Second Degree Sexual Assault of a Child in Sheboygan County. In August 2023, law enforcement received information indicating that Nytes had repeatedly sexually assaulted a minor and used the child to create pornography, which he uploaded to the cloud for access on his electronic devices. Subsequently, Nytes was charged with and pled guilty to the federal charge of receipt of child pornography.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach described Nytes' crime as horrendous and highlighted the significant impact on his victim. The judge also referenced Nytes’ history of abusing children when determining that a sentence of 300 months in federal prison was appropriate given the severity of the crime. After serving his sentence, Nytes will be subject to supervised release for life and must continue registering as a sex offender under state and federal law.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project aims to marshal resources at federal, state, and local levels to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals exploiting children via the Internet while identifying and rescuing victims.
The investigation was conducted by the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
