Federal prosecutors are accusing a 36-year-old Chelsea man of allegedly coercing minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct while already on probation for previous sex crimes against children.
A federal grand jury indicted Steven Michael Bauer on six felony counts last week, including sexual exploitation of children, penalties for registered sex offenders, and distribution and possession of child pornography.
Recommended Videos
The charges are tied to alleged conduct in August 2023 and January through March 2025.
Records show Bauer is a registered sex offender in Michigan, and lists him as “compliant,” but incarcerated. Michigan Department of Corrections records list Bauer as a probationer with supervision running through Oct. 14, 2025.
The indictment, filed July 15, 2026, alleges that Aug. 12, 2023, Bauer “knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor,” who was under 18 years of age, to engage in sexually explicit conduct.
The indictment further alleges the sexually explicit conduct was “for the purpose of transmitting a live visual depiction of such conduct” and that it “would be transported and transmitted using a means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce.”
It also states that the visual depiction was produced and transmitted “using materials that had been mailed, shipped, and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce by any means, including by computer.”
It alleges a similar set of conduct Jan. 13, 2025, involving another minor.
Because Bauer was required by federal and other laws to register as a sex offender, prosecutors said penalties were enhanced.
The feds also accused Bauer of “knowingly” possessing and distributing child sexually abusive material on March 19, 2025, also while on probation.
Records show Bauer was previously convicted in Ann Arbor. The alleged offense occurred on Aug. 20, 2018. Records show he pleaded no contest in Washtenaw County to two counts of child sexually abusive material – possession, on Oct. 14, 2020.
Bauer is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment at 1 p.m. on July 24.