Wisconsin man convicted of producing child pornography outside of the United States

WASHINGTON -- A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty Tuesday, March 19 to producing and possessing child pornography in 2015 and engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place between 2014 and 2015.

Jeffrey Ernisse, 61, pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child pornography, one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor in the Philippines, and one count of possessing child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Lynn Adelman.

Sentencing is set for July 11, 2019.

According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, while law enforcement was investigating Ernisse for production of child pornography in Wisconsin, they discovered evidence of additional child pornography production from the Philippines on Ernisse’s digital
devices. While traveling in the Philippines, in March 2015 and then again, in April 2015, Ernisse produced child pornography with a prepubescent minor. Between June 2014 and April 2015, he engaged in illicit sexual conduct with a minor in the Philippines. And in December 2015, Ernisse possessed child pornography in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this case with the cooperation of the Sheboygan Police Department.

This investigation is a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006.