Red Wing Man Indicted for Producing Child Pornography

A 27-year-old Red Wing man was indicted today in federal court in Minneapolis for allegedly producing videos and photos over a three-year period that showed minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment specifically charges Nicolas Ryan Heath with five counts of production of child pornography.

The indictment states that on five separate occasions between December of 2006 through August of 2009, Heath induced and coerced two boys to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Allegedly, on December 31, 2006, Heath used a camcorder to produce a sexually explicit videotape of a boy, and on May 15, 2009, he used a digital camera to produce explicit photos of that same boy. Then, between December of 2006 and December of 2008, he again purportedly involved the boy in the production of child pornography via a laptop computer and a web camera. Moreover, Heath allegedly produced child pornography involving a second boy on December 31, 2008, and again on August 15, 2009. In those instances, he reportedly used a digital camera to produce sexually explicit photos.

If convicted, Heath faces a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on each count, with a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years on each count. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Red Wing Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen B. Schommer.

The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to combating the sexual exploitation of children, particularly via the Internet. For more information about these efforts, please visit the Department’s Project Safe Childhood website, at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.