Downriver man pleads guilty to blackmailing child for 'more nudes'
FOX 2 - A New Boston man pleaded guilty recently to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor – a crime that carries a minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in prison.
The backstory:
Michael David Bulanda is scheduled to be sentenced on September 22, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
An investigation by the FBI's Philadelphia office in December of 2025 led the authorities to Bulanda, 37.
A Philadelphia-area man was arrested by the FBI for making child pornography, then discovered a chat where Bulanda sent the suspect a nude image of a victim, asking the man to blackmail them.
The plot was to demand the victim supply "more nudes" and Bulanda provided the suspect with personal information about the victim to facilitate the blackmail – including information about siblings and friends, investigators say.
"The man and Bulanda discussed posting the minor’s picture on a public forum to make her ‘feel fear,’ as a tactic that has worked in the past to break "many stubborn" girls," according to the US Attorney's Office.
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit field office.
"This pervert tried to blackmail a child by making her ‘feel fear’ so that he could abuse her even more," Gorgon said in a statement. "Now, he will feel justice."
Runyan also credited the work of Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes task force of the FBI for its work.
"Using fear, manipulation, and blackmail to exploit a child is among the most reprehensible crimes we investigate. This guilty plea ensures this predator will be held accountable," she said, adding that the Philadelphia FBI office's help was key.
The Source: Information for this report is from the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.