Nicholas Lugo, a resident of Chaska, Minnesota, has been indicted on charges related to the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick following the filing of court documents indicating that Lugo, 25, disseminated multiple CSAM videos online on July 3, 2024.
Previously, Lugo was convicted in 2021 in Hennepin County for first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a minor. Commenting on the indictment, Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick stated, “Lugo is a child predator. He was convicted of sexually abusing a child. And then—like so many sexual predators—went on to offend again. Minnesotans should have no tolerance for serial child sex offenders in our midst. The U.S. Attorney’s Office certainly doesn’t. Defendants like Lugo who repeatedly prey on children should expect to see federal charges and do federal prison time.”
Lugo faces one count of distribution of child pornography. At his arraignment, Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster ordered that Lugo remain in custody until further court proceedings.
The investigation leading to Lugo's indictment involved the efforts of the Chaska Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the FBI. It was part of Project Safe Childhood, a countrywide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the escalating issues of child sexual exploitation and abuse. This program aims to gather federal, state, and local resources to better apprehend individuals exploiting children online, and to identify and rescue victims. Additional information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at Justice.gov/PSC.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is handling the prosecution. It is important to note that an indictment is an allegation, and the defendant remains presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.