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, Chase began communicating online with an 11-year-old child from Maryland in March 2026. He was aware of the victim’s age and coerced the minor into sending sexually explicit images. Chase also sent obscene images of himself and engaged in sexualized conversations with the child.
During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Byron B. Conway emphasized the seriousness of the offense and cited the young age of the victim as an aggravating factor that warranted significant punishment. The judge noted that Chase had prior state convictions for crimes against children but had previously avoided jail time due to reduced charges. Judge Conway concluded that a sentence of 15 years was appropriate given the evidence and circumstances.
After serving his prison term, Chase will be subject to ten years of supervised release 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.”
“Holding individuals responsible for their despicable acts involving innocent children is our top priority.” said Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz. “Working with our federal partners we were able to ensure accountability and protect our children from this predator in the future.”
“Mr. Chase preyed on an 11-year-old minor and the sentence he received reflects the severity of the crime committed,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr. “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 along with the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble prosecuted the case.
This prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at fighting child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies.
