A Menasha, Wisconsin man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. Lawrence J. Chase, 22, received the sentence on January 30, 2026, after being convicted of violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a).
According to court records, in March 2025 Chase began communicating online with an 11-year-old child from Maryland. He was aware that he was speaking with a minor and coerced the child into sending sexually explicit images. Chase also sent obscene images of himself to the child during these conversations.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Byron B. Conway highlighted the seriousness of the crime and cited the victim’s age as an aggravating factor that warranted a significant sentence. The judge noted that Chase had previous state convictions for crimes against children but had not served jail time for those offenses. After considering all evidence and arguments, Judge Conway determined that a 15-year prison term was appropriate. Upon release from prison, Chase will be under supervised release for ten years and must register as a sex offender under both state and federal law.
“This defendant took the innocence of a child who will never get that part of their childhood back,” said U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel. “As a consequence, he will lose a decade and a half of his life to a federal penitentiary. Every pedophile that harms our children should know law enforcement is working night and day to catch them and punish them.”
Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz commented: “Holding individuals responsible for their despicable acts involving innocent children is our top priority. Working with our federal partners we were able to ensure accountability and protect our children from this predator in the future.”
FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr added: “Mr. Chase preyed on an 11-year-old minor and the sentence he received reflects the severity of the crime committed. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and combat violent crimes against children.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to apprehend offenders who exploit children online and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
