Grand Rapids Man Arrested for Child Sexually Abusive Material

Ritsema was arrested following an investigation in which digital evidence was seized from his residence. The investigation was initiated when it was learned that Ritsema was communicating with individuals about creating, viewing, sharing, and uploading files of child sexually abusive material on the internet.

Ritsema was charged with one count of aggravated child sexually abusive activity, one count of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material, one count of distributing/promotion of child sexually abusive material, and three counts of using a computer to commit a crime. Ritsema was arraigned in the 61st District Court on Wednesday, July 3.

If convicted, Ritsema faces up to 25 years in prison for aggravated child sexually abusive activity, 15 years in prison for promoting/distributing child sexually abusive material, 10 years in prison for aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material, and 20 years in prison for using a computer to commit a crime.

The MSP Computer Crimes Unit encourages parents to speak to their children about the safe use of the internet. There are many resources available to parents to assist in keeping children safe online. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provides a comprehensive list of resources on their website at http://www.missingkids.org. The MSP ICAC Task Force also provides resources at http://www.michiganicac.com.