Western District of Michigan | Man who tied up and raped au pair, victimized other women and girls, sentenced to life in prison

BIG SPEED, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Arisknight Winfree, 32, of East Lansing, has been sentenced to life in federal prison for sexually exploiting four women, including two minors, in 2022. Winfree was convicted on multiple charges including kidnapping (count 1), coercion and enticement (count 2), attempted coercion and enticement (count 3) and production of child pornography (counts 4 and 5).

“Arisknight Winfree is a sexual predator whose heinous acts caused immeasurable harm to the women and girls he preyed on,” said American attorney Mark Totten. “This life sentence is necessary to protect the community and bring a measure of justice to survivors.”

Winfree targeted its victims in multiple ways, including using messaging on various social media apps and through an online service that connects individuals, often young women, with host families in need of childcare and light housework . The Court convicted Winfree of five crimes involving four victims.

First, Winfree was convicted of kidnapping (count 1) and coercion and seduction (count 2) for the crimes he committed against SD. The victim was a young woman living in Italy who Winfree contacted on September 5, 2022 through AuPair.com, a website service that connects young women with potential host families. Winfree falsely claimed that his family was looking for an au pair to care for his niece. On October 12, 2022, SD flew from Italy to Detroit, Michigan, and then took a bus to Winfree’s home in East Lansing, Michigan. The day after she arrived, Winfree handcuffed his victim’s hands behind her back, placed a ball gag in her mouth and raped her. Winfree considered killing his victim and hiding her body to avoid prosecution.

Secondly, Winfree was convicted of attempted coercion and seduction (case 3) for the crimes he committed in July 2022 against AS Winfree who was associated with AS through AuPair.com, falsely claiming that he needed someone to to watch his 7-year-old niece every other week. . Winfree paid for AS to fly to Michigan on September 14, 2022. When AS arrived at Winfree’s home, she noticed that all the windows were covered with paper and cardboard. She also noticed that there were cameras around the house. AS saw no signs of children. She saw several knives and guns in the house. On September 16, 2022, AS’s family called the East Lansing Police Department and requested a welfare check for AS. With the assistance of police, the victim left the home with her belongings and returned to Kansas.

Third, Winfree was convicted of production of child pornography (case 4) for the crimes he committed against minor victim 1 (MV1). Winfree connected with MV1 on Instagram in November 2022, when the victim was 17 years old. From November 29 to 30, MV1 took nude photos at Winfree’s request and sent them to him via the social media app’s messaging function. On November 30, 2022, Winfree picked up MV1 from her high school, took her to his house and performed sex acts on her.

Fourth, Winfree was convicted of a new charge of production of child pornography (case 5) for the crimes he committed against child victim 2 (MV2). Winfree connected to MV2 on SnapChat in September or October 2022, when the victim was 16 years old. He instructed MV2 to perform sexual acts and send images and videos to him via SnapChat and later via WhatsApp.

Further details can be found in the attached complaint and the U.S. Statement of Facts establishing Defendant’s guilt.

“The sentencing of Arisknight Winfree marks an important step toward healing for all who suffered from his callous and heinous criminal actions,” the spokesperson said. Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Individuals who engage in sexual exploitation involving minors will be investigated and arrested by the FBI and our law enforcement partners in Michigan. The collective investigative efforts of members of FBI Michigan, the East Lansing Police Department, and the prosecution efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Western Michigan prevented Mr. Winfree from committing another crime.”

“The East Lansing Police Department would like to thank the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan for their efforts in this case,” the spokesperson said. ELPD Police Chief Chad Pride. “The conviction of Arisknight Winfree on multiple charges demonstrates that our collaborative partnerships were essential to bringing justice to the survivors of these terrible acts and to holding Arisknight accountable for his actions.”

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutors, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies work closely together to identify, arrest, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation and teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following website: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Persons with information or concerns regarding possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.

Assistant United States Attorney Davin Reust prosecuted this case. The East Lansing Police Department, Michigan State University Police and Public Safety and the FBI investigated.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan issued the previous press releases in this case and a related case:

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