On January 17, 2025, Robert D. Nytes, aged 49, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for the receipt of child pornography. The sentence was handed down by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach.
Court records reveal that Nytes is a lifetime registrant on the Wisconsin Sexual Offender Registry due to a previous conviction for Second Degree Sexual Assault of a Child in Sheboygan County in 1995. In August 2023, authorities were informed that Nytes had repeatedly sexually assaulted a minor and used the child to create pornography. He then uploaded these materials to the cloud for access on his electronic devices. Following these events, Nytes was charged with and pled guilty to receiving child pornography.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach described Nytes' crime as horrendous and highlighted the significant impact on the victim and Nytes’ history of abusing children. The judge concluded that a sentence of 300 months in federal prison appropriately reflected the severity of the crime. After serving his sentence, Nytes will be on 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. This initiative involves collaboration among federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute individuals exploiting children via the Internet while also 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.