Joshua Sherwood, a 34-year-old resident of Arpin, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to 195 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography. This sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley and will be followed by 25 years of supervised release. Sherwood entered a guilty plea on November 4, 2024.
Sherwood's criminal activities began shortly after his release from state prison for possessing child pornography. He contacted minor girls nationwide, persuading them to produce sexually explicit images by offering money and items from their Amazon wish lists. When the victims refused further cooperation, Sherwood resorted to threats of exposing the images to their parents or threatening self-harm.
Judge Conley emphasized that Sherwood exploited his young victims without recognizing the harm he caused, noting that "Sherwood’s descent was so far, it will be difficult to change."
The investigation leading to Sherwood's conviction involved multiple agencies including the Smyrna Police Department in Tennessee, Homeland Security Investigations, Marshfield Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Corrections, and New Lisbon Correctional Institution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a national initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local resources.