Registered Sex Offender Sentenced To 25 Years in Prison for Attempted Sexual Coercion of a Child and Possession of Child Pornography

DETROIT - Glen William Vellner, 47, of Mount Clemens, Michigan, was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison before United States District Judge Denise Page Hood on charges of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, receipt of child pornography, and penalties for registered sex offenders, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.

As part of his prior guilty plea, Vellner had admitted that on January 8, 2021, he requested that an individual that he believed to be a 13-year-old girl send him a picture of her genitals during a chat on Google Hangouts. He also admitted that he received child pornography over the internet between June 5, 2016, and August 1, 2019. Vellner committed these offenses while already being a registered sex offender for prior criminal convictions directed at children.  In 2001, Vellner was convicted of two counts of criminal sexual conduct against a 13-year-old girl. After only serving probation for these offenses, Vellner was convicted of ten counts of child sexually abusive activity in 2006.  After being released from prison in 2015 based on his 2006 convictions, Vellner went on to commit the crimes in this case while being a registered sex offender.  When federal agents searched Vellner’s house in this case, they located a notebook containing passwords to various accounts. Vellner frequently used the phrase “ILuv2RapeLiLgirls” as a password to his accounts. In total, Vellner possessed 4,317 images and 320 videos of child pornography. Of those, 1,319 images and ten videos contained images of infants or toddlers and 179 images and three videos contained sadistic or machoistic conduct or violence.

“Repeat sexual offenders who victimize children present a special danger and require significant sentences to assure the safety of our kids and the community. The court’s sentence today is just punishment and prevents this defendant from further victimizing children. This office will continue to strenuously prosecute these offenders to keep children safe.” stated Dawn N. Ison, United States Attorney.

The case was investigated by the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force (“SEMTEC”) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Rawsthorne and Catherine Morris.