A former medical resident from Detroit has admitted guilt to federal charges related to child pornography, following an alarming exchange of messages that included him stating, “I love being a pedo.”
Shockingly, this case is connected to a broader investigation, which uncovered that the Detroit area had a pedophile ring involving other professionals, including a therapist and a lawyer.
Lincoln Erickson, aged 32, residing in Farmington Hills, a wealthy suburb of Detroit, entered his guilty plea this week for receiving child pornography after an inquiry led to the discovery of unsettling communications. Three other individuals were also apprehended in connection with the investigation.
Erickson, who previously worked as a resident at an unnamed public university hospital, was taken into custody last December.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office:
Investigators uncovered videos featuring minors in sexual acts, along with AI-generated images portraying naked children with adult men, stored on Erickson’s cell phone. He also confessed to attempting to persuade another man to allow him to bathe his children, planning to visit that man’s home to do so.
“This individual was hiding among the medical professionals we rely on. Meanwhile, he schemed to indulge his abhorrent desires and harm young kids. Fortunately, the FBI intervened in time,” stated the U.S. Attorney.
Erickson was arrested shortly after the March 2025 capture of Brett Tooman from Ohio, who revealed a network of child pornography. The investigation was reportedly led by an undercover agent posing as a parent involved with a pedophile.
Tooman faced charges for allegedly traveling to Toledo with the intent to abuse a 7-year-old girl and a 6-month-old infant, mistakenly believing he was part of a law enforcement sting.
Alongside Erickson, two others were detained; a psychotherapist from Huntington Woods, Jeremy Brian Tacon, and a lawyer from Detroit, Joshua Ronnebaum, whose connections were uncovered during the undercover probe.
Ronnebaum’s arrest revealed a text exchange with Erickson through regular text and the encrypted app Telegram.
The two are said to have coordinated a trip to Thailand to exploit children and had fantasized about a scenario in which they’d raise a child to abuse and groom from a young age.
“Start young,” Erickson reportedly remarked in some messages.
In another message, he expressed enthusiasm for his predilections, claiming to know a father who allowed him to abuse his 3-year-old son, according to the FBI.
Further Telegram conversations indicated that he sought additional videos, stating, “Brother, I love other pedophiles. So hot.”
Erickson’s guilty plea may lead to a prison sentence ranging from five to 20 years, along with potential fines up to $250,000.
His sentencing is set for September 15, 2026, and he will be obligated to register as a sex offender.
