Lansing man arrested on dozens of child porn charges

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — The Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office arraigned a Lansing man on Monday for 48 offenses, including sexual assault, child pornography, and felony firearm charges.

The Michigan State Police Computer Crimes Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force with assistance from other agencies arrested Joseph Ketchum, 26, of Lansing, on July 3.

Authorities say they began investigating Ketchum after receiving cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children .

Ketchum was arraigned on the following charges:

• 6 counts of First Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct
• 4 counts of Aggravated Child Sexually Abusive Activity
• 4 counts of Aggravated Child Sexually Abusive Material Possession
• 4 counts of Child Sexually Abusive Activity Distributing or Promotion
• 10 counts of Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (for crimes punishable by 20+ years in prison)
• 4 counts of Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (for crimes punishable by 10-20 years in prison)
• 4 counts of Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (for crimes punishable by 4-10 years in prison)

Ketchum is currently being held in the Ingham County Jail without bond.

He is scheduled for a Probable Cause Conference on July 19, where his defense and the prosecution will discuss potential plea agreements, bail, and case procedures. Ketchum is also scheduled for a preliminary examination on July 26.

Both hearings will be held in front of Judge Cynthia Ward of the 54A District Court.

If convicted, the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office says Ketchum faces the following sentences:

• 25 years to life in prison for each count of First Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct
• Up to 25 years in prison for each count of Aggravated Child Sexually Abusive Activity
• Up to 10 years in prison for each count of Aggravated Sexually Abusive Material Possession
• Up to 7 years in prison for each count of Child Sexually Abusive Activity Distributing or Promotion
• Up to 20 years in prison for each count of Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (for crimes punishable by 20+ years in prison)
• Up to 10 years in prison for each count of Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (for crimes punishable by 10-20 years in prison)
• Up to 7 years in prison for each count of 4 counts of Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (for crimes punishable by 10-20 years in prison)

The prosecutor’s office did not provide sentencing information for Ketchum’s firearm charges.

This is not Ketchum’s first brush with the law, court records show. He was charged with retail fraud for an incident in Aug. 2019. The charge was authorized in the 55th District Court in Mason in January of 2021. He entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to community service, and probation and ordered to pay $1,085 in court fines and fees.

Parents are encouraged to speak to their children and family members about safe use of the internet.  There are many resources available to assist in keeping people safe online.  The MSP ICAC Task Force provides a comprehensive list of resources on their website at http://www.michiganicac.com .  If you have information regarding possible child sexual exploitation, report it to the CyberTipline at http://www.missingkids.org/cybertipline .

Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office Statement, July 8, 2024

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