A former Detroit doctor has pleaded guilty to charges of receiving child pornography following an FBI investigation that revealed disturbing messages and his involvement in a sexual abuse ring. Lincoln Erickson, 32, was arrested in December 2025 after federal authorities discovered he was part of a larger network of individuals engaged in child sexual exploitation, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced.
Erickson, who previously worked as a medical resident at Detroit Medical Center's Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, admitted to writing vile messages expressing his attraction to minors. In one Telegram message, he wrote, "I love being a p@do," and in another, "Bro, I love other p@dophiles. So hot," according to court documents obtained by Click on Detroit.
The investigation began after the arrest of Brett Tooman in Ohio, which revealed a network of adults with disturbing sexual fantasies. Tooman was taken into custody in March 2025 after allegedly planning to sexually abuse a seven-year-old girl and a six-month-old infant he believed existed, but who were actually fictional characters created by an undercover FBI agent posing as a parent.
Tooman's arrest led authorities to Jeremy Brian Tacon and Joshua Ronnebaum, and eventually to Erickson through a Telegram chat thread. In those messages, Erickson told Ronnebaum that he had sexually abused a boy and fantasized about having a child with another man so they could "all just f**k and groom 'from baby to adulthood.'" He also wrote, "Start them young," according to the criminal complaint.
Erickson admitted to sexually abusing a friend's three-year-old child. During the investigation, agents discovered videos of minors engaged in sexual acts and AI-generated pornography depicting nude children touching adult men. U.S. Attorney Gorgon stated, "This pervert was lurking among our trusted medical professionals. At the same time, he was feeding his disgusting appetites and plotting to abuse little children. Thankfully, the FBI caught him when they did."
Erickson has been in custody since his arrest. His guilty plea, entered on May 20, 2026, carries a prison sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years, along with a fine of up to $250,000. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 15 and will be required to register as a sex offender.
