Muskego Man Indicted for Child Exploitation Crimes

Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 9, 2025, a three-count federal indictment was issued alleging that Justin D. Kagerbauer (age: 46) of Muskego, Wisconsin, committed three federal felonies: (1) Count One: attempted interstate or foreign travel with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b); (2) Count Two: using a computer to attempt to persuade, induce, or entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b); and (3) Count Three: distribution of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2)(A).

According to court documents, Kagerbauer was the target of an undercover operation originating in the United Kingdom (“UK”). He is alleged to have communicated online with an adult individual in the UK from March 2025 through late November 2025, with the intent that Kagerbauer travel to the United Kingdom to sexually assault a nine-year-old female child.

If convicted of Count One, Kagerbauer faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment. If convicted of Count Two, he faces a mandatory 10 years’ imprisonment, up to life imprisonment. If convicted of Count Three, he faces a mandatory five years’ imprisonment, up to 20 years’ imprisonment. Kagerbauer may also be fined up to $250,000 on each count. He also may be required to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.

This case was investigated by law enforcement in the United Kingdom and Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.     

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.