A Wayne County man has pleaded guilty to charges that he tried to blackmail a girl into sending him nude photos of herself, officials said.
Michael David Bulanda, 37, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Jerome Gorgon said in a statement.
The New Boston resident is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22, according to Gorgon. He faces between a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, Gorgon said.
“This pervert tried to blackmail a child by making her ‘feel fear’ so that he could abuse her even more,” Gorgon said in a statement. “Now, he will feel justice.”
Bulanda’s attorney with the federal community defender’s office was not immediately available for comment on Thursday.
What led authorities to Bulanda
Authorities said the charge was sparked by the FBI’s December 2025 arrest of a Philadelphia-area man suspected of producing child pornography.
During their investigation, agents found an online chat in which the defendant sent an image of a nude underage girl to the suspect, and asked him to blackmail the girl to obtain “more nudes,” officials said.
They said Bulanda provided the suspect with the girl’s personal information, including details about her siblings and friends, to facilitate the blackmail.
Investigators said Bulanda and the suspect discussed posting the victim’s picture on a public forum to make her “feel fear,” a tactic he said worked in the past to break “many stubborn” girls.
“Using fear, manipulation, and blackmail to exploit a child is among the most reprehensible crimes we investigate,” Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said in a statement. “This guilty plea ensures this predator will be held accountable.”
Other similar cases in Michigan
His case is among the most recent that involved an adult allegedly coercing a minor.
In April, a Holly youth soccer coach was charged with transporting a minor for criminal sexual activity, as well as coercion and enticement of a minor, after allegedly bringing an Ohio teen to Michigan to have sex.
Last November, a Kalamazoo man convicted of sexual exploitation as well as the coercion and enticement of a minor in 2021 was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
In October, a Monroe County man pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in a criminal sex act.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
@CharlesERamirez
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Wayne Co. man accused of blackmailing girl for nude pics pleads guilty
Reporting by Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
