Metro Detroit attorney accused of creating child sexually abusive material with photos of himself, relatives

GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Wayne County attorney is facing a host of felony charges after allegedly creating and distributing child sexually abusive material (CSAM).

Nelson Otto Ropke, 41, of Grosse Pointe Park, received a $1 million bond after the prosecutor expressed concerns for the community.

What we know:

Editor's note: This story contains disturbing details.

Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Tina Ripley said Ropke allegedly used his photo and photos of his relatives in the CSAM he created.

"He created it by putting faces of himself and family members on images of children engaging in sexual acts," she said.

Ripley alleged that Ropke sent and received child sexually abusive material from other people online. She said he also allegedly shared secretly captured videos of sex acts with his ex-wife online. 

Ropke is currently banned from his children's school due to previous threats, Ripley said, but did not elaborate on the nature of those threats. 

According to Ropke's attorney, he is currently unemployed but previously worked in a skilled nursing facility. It is unclear when he stopped practicing law. 

Ropke did say he was on probation out of Grosse Pointe Farms. According to court records, he was sentenced to two years of probation in January after pleading guilty to operating while intoxicated - second offense. 

What they're saying:

"There are many times in this job where we encounter alleged facts where you wonder how some people can sink to certain levels of depravity. This is one of those cases. There is really nothing left to say here," said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

Charges

• Count One: Child Sexually Abusive Activity - Aggravated (Maximum Penalty of 25 Years)
• Count Two: Child Sexually Abusive Activity - Aggravated (Maximum Penalty of 25 Years)
• Count Three: Child Sexually Abusive Activity - Aggravated Distribution (Maximum Penalty of 15 Years)
• Count Four: Child Sexually Abusive Activity - Aggravated Distribution (Maximum Penalty of 15 Years)
• Count Five: Child Sexually Abusive Activity - Aggravated Distribution (Maximum Penalty of 15 Years)
• Count Six: Child Sexually Abusive Activity - Aggravated Distribution (Maximum Penalty of 15 Years)
• Count Seven: Child Sexually Abusive Activity - Aggravated Possession (Maximum Penalty of 10 Years)
• Count Eight: Child Sexually Abusive Activity - Aggravated Possession (Maximum Penalty of 10 Years)
• Count Nine: Child Sexually Abusive Activity - Aggravated Possession (Maximum Penalty of 10 Years)
• Count Ten: Child Sexually Abusive Activity - Aggravated Possession (Maximum Penalty of 10 Years)
• Count Eleven: Capturing/Distributing Image of Unclothed Person (Maximum Penalty of 5 Years)
• Count Twelve: Capturing/Distributing Image of Unclothed Person (Maximum Penalty of 5 Years)
• Count Thirteen: Possession of Child Sexually Abusive Matter (Maximum Penalty of 4 Years)
• Count Fourteen: Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (Maximum Penalty of 20 Years)
• Count Fifteen: Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (Maximum Penalty of 20 Years)
• Count Sixteen: Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (Maximum Penalty of 10 Years)
• Count Seventeen: Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (Maximum Penalty of 10 Years)
• Count Eighteen: Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (Maximum Penalty of 10 Years)
• Count Nineteen: Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (Maximum Penalty of 10 Years)
• Count Twenty: Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (Maximum Penalty of 10 Years)
• Count Twenty-One: Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (Maximum Penalty of 10 Years)
• Count Twenty-Two: Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (Maximum Penalty of 10 Years)
• Count Twenty-Three: Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (Maximum Penalty of 10 Years)
• Count Twenty-Four: Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (Maximum Penalty of 4 Years)
• Count Twenty-Five: Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (Maximum Penalty of 4 Years)
• Count Twenty-Six: Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (Maximum Penalty of 4 Years)

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