SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A Sacramento man was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of a child.
The United States Department of Justice says that 31-year-old Michael David Dickey of Sacramento was handed down the sentence on Monday from U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd.
Court documents revealed that law enforcement had identified Dickey in 2024 during an investigation into dark web forums where users traded child sexual abuse material.
Investigators were able to trace several usernames to Dickey.
Authorities say that Dickey’s posts indicated that he recorded video of a 13-year-old boy engaging in sexually explicit activity and had posted it onto the forums.
A search warrant revealed an extensive collection of child sexual abuse material. Dickey pleaded guilty to the charges against him on December 8, 2025.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The program brings together federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.