A Chaska man with a prior conviction for sexual assault of a child is facing a new federal charge related to distributing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) on the internet, Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick announced.
The federal indictment alleges that Nicholas Richard Lugo, 25, distributed multiple CSAM videos over the internet last July.
Charges first filed in state court detail that Chaska police received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that CSAM, including images and videos, had been sent to users in private chat groups on a messaging app, and had been sent from an IP address registered to Lugo’s parent at an address in Chaska.
Lugo was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted to using the messaging app and that the username involved belonged to him. Lugo admitted to having videos on the app of underage males engaged in sex acts and admitted to sending and receiving such videos. Lugo even stated that he had obtained at least two separate cellphones that his probation agent didn’t know about and weren’t being monitored in order to conceal his access to the messaging app, as well as the Grindr app.
“Lugo is a child predator. He was convicted of sexually abusing a child. And then—like so many sexual predators—went on to offend again,” said U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick. “Minnesotans should have no tolerance for serial child sex offenders in our midst. The U.S. Attorney’s Office certainly doesn’t. Defendants like Lugo who repeatedly prey on children should expect to see federal charges and do federal prison time.”
Lugo was convicted in December 2021 in Hennepin County District Court on one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a child under the age of 13. Charges in that case stated Lugo was living with his parents in Edina at the time and had repeated sexual contact with a neighborhood boy when the child was about 7 or 8 years old.
Lugo was granted a stay-of-imposition on the felony sentence, and was instead sentenced in the 2021 conviction to 180 days of electronic home monitoring in a downward departure from sentencing guidelines by Judge Jay Quam. Lugo was placed on probation for five years through October 2026.
Lugo is charged in the new case with one count of distribution of child pornography. At his arraignment hearing, Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster ordered that he remain in custody pending further court proceedings. Lugo remains in custody in Sherburne County Jail.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
