DETROIT – The headlines about child sexual predators being caught can make it feel like the problem is suddenly everywhere. Inside the FBI’s Detroit Division, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Marty D’Amico told Local 4 the reality is a little more complicated, but in one way, more encouraging.
“I think it’s twofold,” D’Amico said.
Child predators “are very prevalent,” he said, but while he’s seeing an “uptick” in arrests, he’s also attributing that to new technology, resources and public awareness.
“What’s become more, I guess, better for us… is we’re putting this public awareness out there,” D’Amico said. “We’re making families know that this is going on… and in the end, when we get the information, we’re going to act on it, and that will raise us catching those guys.”
“More places to reach kids”
In 2004, the FBI launched the Endangered Child Alert Program, or ECAP, to help identify unknown people involved in the sexual abuse of children and the production of child sexual abuse material – essentially seeking John/Jane Does.
ECAP is a collaboration between the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, where FBI personnel assigned to NCMEC review tips submitted to NCMEC’s CyberTipline. The FBI says those reviews can help identify suspects, and that information is then sent to the appropriate FBI field office.
D’Amico said while the internet has helped the feds find potential child predators and track digital footprints, it unfortunately also gives alleged predators more opportunities, by giving them “more places to reach kids.”
“I would say it’s maybe not easier, but they just have more venues,” D’Amico said. “Everyone has a device. Everyone has iPads. Everyone has Apple watches or any other sort of electronic device. People are on games, and so there’s more platforms for children to be exploited.”
That’s one reason, he said, is it’s crucial for parents and guardians to know what kids are doing online, and for schools to be able to recognize when a child may be in trouble.
“Being our most vulnerable population, children are easily exploited,” D’Amico said.
Over the past few years, the FBI has seen what they call an “uptick” nationally in arrests of alleged child predators. FBI Detroit told Local 4 it is seeing the same trend. While D’Amico cannot comment on specific cases out of FBI’s Detroit Division, there are recent cases that have gained attention.
Recent cases in Metro Detroit
In April, Audy Mugally Al-Saidi, 26, of Dearborn was arrested on allegations of receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography.
Al-Saidi is accused of having 35,002 potentially downloadable files “of investigative interest,” federal investigators said.
An agent working under the FBI’s Innocent Images National Initiative -- part of the Violent Crimes Against Children Unit -- which investigates matters involving the online sexual exploitation of children, said the investigation into Al-Saidi began in February 2026.
In May, former Metro Detroit Dr. Lincoln Erickson pleaded guilty to a federal child pornography charge stemming from a multi-state investigation into the sexual exploitation of children. Erickson, of Farmington Hills, was one of four men arrested in connection with a large child pornography and sexual abuse case that began with the arrest of Brett Tooman in Toledo, Ohio.
On March 29, 2025, Toledo police took Tooman into custody after he allegedly traveled to the area to sexually abuse a 7-year-old girl and a 6-month-old infant he believed existed.
Tooman’s arrest led investigators to Jeremy Brian Tacon, Joshua Ronnebaum and Erickson, who allegedly shared explicit and sexually abusive materials with one another.
Erickson is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 15, 2026, and will be required to register as a sex offender.
And this week, Michael Wendt, 38, a Grosse Ile man, was taken into custody following a federal search warrant. Wendt is facing federal child pornography charges after investigators say an FBI search of his home uncovered evidence connected to online activity reported through Google cyber tips. Court records state multiple uploaded files were flagged, including 11 images that authorities say met the federal definition of child pornography.
Sextortion ‘on the rise’ among children and teens
But despite massive progress in some areas, the FBI said, one fast-growing threat the FBI is still seeing is sextortion -- a scam that can start with a single image and quickly turn into threats and demands.
“Children are being extorted for photos,” D’Amico said. After that, he said, victims can be manipulated into paying “some sort of currency, whether that be via online currency or whether that’s through gift cards.”
They’re “blackmailing these children,” he said, “saying they’re going to expose them online, or they’re going to expose them to their family. And the reason we think it’s becoming more prevalent is because of the ability of the actors. They’re worldwide.”
And the consequences can be deadly. Jordan DeMay, a Michigan high school student, died by suicide after being blackmailed with a nude photograph in 2022. He was 17 years old.
Three men from Lagos, Nigeria, convinced him to send a nude photograph of himself on Instagram. The men posed as teenage girls and ran a conspiracy to convince boys to send naked pictures so they could sextort them for money, according to authorities. They threatened to send Jordan’s nude photo to all of his social media followers, family members, and friends.
“We’re going to get you”
The FBI said its Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force -- a global network created to respond to online child exploitation through partnerships and coordinated investigations that became operational in 2004-- is the world’s largest of its kind: 68 investigators from almost 46 countries.
In Michigan, D’Amico said the bureau has a dedicated team involving local and state resources focused on taking down those committing violent crimes against children.
He urged families not to dismiss warning signs just because they don’t have a screenshot, a name or proof they think police can act on immediately.
“Report that information to your local authorities,” D’Amico said. “Because of our investigative resources, the databases we have, maybe that person’s name will come up on our radar… with this second tip, that might be the next lead that leads us to getting that bad guy.”
“Our job is to never stop advocating for those victims wherever they are. Whoever’s doing this, we’re going to get you. We’re going to come find you.”
How to submit tips
The FBI said they have a free FBI Child ID App that lets parents store photos and key identifying details, so the information is “right at hand if you need it,” and can be shown or emailed to authorities quickly. The FBI said the information is stored only on the device and transmitted only if the user sends it.
To submit a tip to the FBI online, you can go to tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
If you don’t feel comfortable reporting something to the FBI or need immediate assistance, D’Amico said, report it to your local police department.
“They’re the ones who are going to be able to react quicker and get to the victim of the crime faster,” D’Amico said. “And if it needs to involve the FBI, we will jump in as soon as possible.”