July 1, 2021 - Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on June 28, 2021, Timothy J. Tetzlaff (age: 59) of the Town of Mishicot, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach.

In March 2021, Tetzlaff pled guilty to Transportation of a Minor with the Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity and Production of Child Pornography.  The facts introduced at the sentencing hearing demonstrated that Tetzlaff sexually abused at least eight Manitowoc area children beginning in 1987.

In October 2020, an underage victim came forward and reported abuse by Tetzlaff to Manitowoc authorities and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  An investigation revealed that Tetzlaff often took minors on camping trips throughout the United States and Canada, abusing them numerous times during the journeys.  Tetzlaff also assaulted the children at his home in the Town of Mishicot.  Law enforcement also discovered digital images of one of the victims on a digital camera belonging to Tetzlaff.  Teztlaff had surreptitiously photographed the child while he slept in 2015. Following his arrest, several additional victims came forward to report being abused by Tetzlaff.  

When sentencing Tetzlaff, Judge Griesbach noted the horrendous nature of the crimes and Tetzlaff’s pattern of preying on children.  Judge Griesbach explained that a 30-year prison sentence was lengthy enough to protect the community given Tetzlaff’s advanced age.  Upon the completion of his prison sentence, Tetzlaff will serve the remainder of his life on supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office and the Green Bay office of the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.