A 40-year-old Merrill man was indicted by a grand jury this week in Madison and now faces multiple charges, according to the U.S. Dept. of Justice.
Jason D. Ridolfi, 40, is charged with two counts of using a minor to produce child pornography and one count of transporting child pornography.
Prosecutors say Ridolfi used a minor in August 2017 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct. The indictment goes on to allege that on Oct. 20, 2020 Ridolfi transported a visual image of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct into a Google account, officials said.
If convicted, Ridolfi faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison on each of the production charges, and a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years on the transportation charge.
The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and Kenosha Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is handling the prosecution.
