Michael Swiger, a 41-year-old resident of Hammond, Indiana, has been found guilty of distributing and attempting to distribute child pornography. The conviction followed a three-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Swiger faced charges for distributing videos containing child sexual abuse material through a social media application on April 4, 2022. Additionally, he was charged with possessing images and videos of similar content on April 5, 2022.
The investigation leading to Swiger's conviction was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations from Chicago and St. Paul, with support from the Hammond Police Department. The prosecution team included Assistant United States Attorneys Emily A. Morgan, Caitlin M. Padula, and Thomas M. McGrath.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to protect children from exploitation and abuse. The project involves federal, state, and local resources aimed at apprehending and prosecuting individuals who exploit children while also working to identify and rescue victims.
For further details about Project Safe Childhood, information is available at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.