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June 17, 2026

A Wave of CSAM Arrests in Michigan: What These Charges Really Mean in State and Federal Court

In May 2026, a 19-year-old from Saint Ignace was arraigned in Mackinac County’s 92nd District Court on five felony counts. The Michigan State Police Computer Crimes Unit said the case began when investigators believed he was receiving child sexually abusive material online. After a search of his home turned up digital evidence, prosecutors charged him with three counts of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material and two counts of using a computer to commit a crime.

He has not been convicted of anything. Like everyone arrested in these investigations, he is presumed innocent, and the government must prove every element of every count. But his case shows how aggressively Michigan is now pursuing these charges and how quickly a single allegation can lead to decades of potential prison exposure.

Through the first half of 2026, the Michigan State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force announced arrest after arrest, from Rapid City to Port Huron to Flushing to Snover. Many of these cases start the same way: an automated report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), then a search warrant, then seized devices, then charges. That pipeline is fast; it is largely automated, and it does not always get the right person or the right charge. If you or a family member is caught up in one of these investigations, here is what these charges actually mean, and where a real defense begins.

June 15, 2026

When Does an Online Sting Cross Into Entrapment? A Michigan Supreme Court Case Could Redraw the Line

by Grabel & Associates

A man answers an ad on an adult escort site. The profile lists the woman’s age as 20. He starts texting to set up a meeting. Several messages in, the person on the other end says she is actually 15. He questions it, even checks the phone number, then keeps talking and agrees to meet. Police arrest him at the door.

Was that the detection of a crime, or the creation of one?

That question is now before the Michigan Supreme Court, and how the justices answer it could affect every undercover online sting run in this state. The Court heard argument in January 2026, and a ruling is expected sometime before the term ends. For anyone charged out of an online operation like this, it is the Michigan case to watch.

December 29, 2009

“SEXTING”: A new era in the proliferation of child pornography among teenagers in Michigan.

by Scott Grabel

It seems these days that every teenager in Michigan owns a cellular telephone and most phones are equipped with a camera. These factors are a dangerous mix for the approximately twenty (20%) of teenagers, according to a recent survey, who send sexually explicit images via their cellular telephones. Teenagers naturally have a decreased sense of assessing the risk of engaging in certain behaviors and this behavior is one that appears to be increasing based upon the number of prosecutions that have occurred throughout the country. “Sexting” can be a violation of child pornography laws, which are felonies, and can lead to jail or prison time, and most often require registration on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry.

Michigan law as a general rule provides that child pornography, or child sexually abusive material, involves or includes the possession of images or other depictions of persons under the age of 18 that are sexual in nature. Laws dealing with child pornography are drafted in very broad terms to prohibit possession of images that may appear to be innocent but are nonetheless unlawful to possess. Parents with teenagers should be aware that “sexting” is illegal and can potentially have lifetime consequences. Parents should also advise their children of the potential consequences of such behavior. Taking a proactive approach to educating teenagers could save a whole lot of heartache and legal fees.