KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. — A Silver Lake man is now facing federal charges of child sexual exploitation after a grand jury indicted him earlier this month in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

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Nelson C. Roberts-Smith, 30, was booked into the Kenosha County Jail on Friday following his arrest on a federal warrant. He was transported to Milwaukee that same day for an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries.

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According to federal court records, Roberts-Smith is accused of coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a video. Prosecutors allege the visual material was created using equipment involved in interstate commerce, placing the offense under federal jurisdiction. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison.

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At Friday’s hearing, Roberts-Smith pleaded not guilty. A jury trial is set for September 29 before U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper. The court ordered a federal detainer, meaning he will remain in custody during the proceedings.

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Sheriff’s Office records list Roberts-Smith’s address as being in Silver Lake. He was previously held in the Racine County Jail after being charged on June 6 in Racine County Circuit Court with more than two dozen state-level offenses stemming from a joint investigation between Homeland Security and the Racine County Sheriff’s Office.

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Those charges include multiple counts of child exploitation for allegedly producing and distributing illicit material, as well as a particularly egregious charge involving sexual abuse of a family member under the age of 18. Prosecutors say Roberts-Smith sent at least one such video to a confidential informant posing as a fellow user on the encrypted app Teleguard. One group chat he participated in reportedly included over 600 members.

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Racine County Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch set a $250,000 cash bond in that case. Federal authorities later obtained a writ to bring Roberts-Smith from Racine to Milwaukee for the federal proceedings.

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He is next scheduled to appear in federal court on September 5 for a final pretrial conference.

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