MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 45-year-old Owatonna man has been indicted in federal court for allegedly producing video and images containing child pornography and possessing similar items, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
On Monday, Michael William Sherman was charged with one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to the indictment, from September through December of 2010, Sherman enticed and coerced a young boy and girl to “engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of the activity.” The indictment also alleges that Sherman possessed images and videos containing child pornography.
The items were found during a Jan. 14, 2011 execution of a search warrant at Sherman’s residence, the indictment said.
If convicted, Sherman faces a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on the production charge, with a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years. Also, he faces a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison on the possession charge.
Sherman’s sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge.
