DETROIT – Four men have been linked to a major pedophilia and child pornography case that spans throughout Metro Detroit and beyond, according to the FBI.
—> All 3 are prominent men in Metro Detroit. Feds say they had these chats about being pedophiles
Brett Tooman
On March 29, 2025, Brett Tooman was taken into custody by Toledo police after allegedly traveling to the area to sexually abuse a 7-year-old girl and a 6-month-old baby he believed existed.
Authorities said he had been communicating with an undercover FBI agent who was posing as a parent.
Tooman reportedly met the undercover FBI agent online. Between March 6-29, Tooman allegedly spoke casually with the agent about explicit sexual acts involving minors and shared videos featuring children being sexually abused.
Authorities said the undercover agent and Tooman arranged to meet in Toledo, but Tooman failed to appear, later apologizing and expressing eagerness to try again.
The two continued to speak.
The contents of the messages are very explicit and will not be shared.
One video was allegedly shared to show what Tooman wanted to do with the baby and child he thought existed.
“When and where, bro?” the FBI agent messaged back.
The two arranged a time to meet up to abuse the children. When Tooman arrived at the planned location, he was immediately arrested.
Cocaine was allegedly found in his vehicle.
After being taken into custody, Tooman reportedly told police he had been viewing child porn for several years and would share the abusive material with others.
When asked about what led to his arrest, he allegedly told authorities, “bad decisions.”
Following his arrest, police learned Tooman reportedly had been sharing child pornography with two men from Detroit, Jeremy Brian Tacon and Joshua Ronnebaum, leading to an investigation into them and a fourth man, Lincoln Erickson.
Court documents show all four men spoke very casually and very vulgarily about their alleged fondness for sexually abusing very young children.
Jeremy Brian Tacon
Agents reviewed chats between Huntington Woods resident and psychotherapist Jeremy Brian Tacon and Tooman.
The conversations allegedly showed Tacon expressing sexual interest in children and requesting more child sexual abuse material. After Tacon responded to one message, he reportedly received at least a dozen such videos.
In one exchange, the Toledo suspect allegedly texted that he wished they could “find a kiddo and have our way together,” to which Tacon replied, “F*** yes brother.”
In November, the FBI searched Tacon’s home and seized his phone; when they dialed the number from the messages, that phone rang.
Jeremy Brian Tacon (WDIV)
Tacon was a licensed psychotherapist who worked at the Arbor Wellness Center.
In a statement, Arbor Wellness Center wrote, “Our first priority was, as always, ensuring client safety and continuity of care. There is no indication that these charges are related to the agency or its clients.
Mr. Tacon was an independent contractor on a limited contract and is no longer a part of the agency.”
Joshua Ronnebaum
Detroit attorney Joshua Ronnebaum also allegedly exchanged messages with Tooman from June 2022 to July 2023 about abusing children.
Tooman reportedly told authorities they met to do drugs, have sex, and watch child sexual abuse material.
Ronnebaum reportedly told Tooman he lived in a Detroit mansion with three other men.
Ronnebaum is a prominent environmental and immigration lawyer who served on the Palmer Woods Association Board of Directors.
Two neighbors Local 4 spoke with said they frequently interacted with Ronnebaum due to his position on the board. They said they weren’t surprised to hear about the allegations and that they were aware of them.
A search warrant was executed in November on the home and seized 38 media storage devices, including an iPhone that was allegedly on the nightstand next to Ronnebaum’s bed.
The iPhone’s screen was reportedly on and was displaying a prompt asking if the user wanted to confirm they wanted to delete the Telegram app.
Photo of Ronnebaum’s iPhone from the FBI affidavit. (WDIV)
Another phone found in his closet allegedly contained over 150 illegal images, including abuse of infants and toddlers.
Text messages reportedly found on Ronnebaum’s phone, where he spoke about being an English teacher in Japan and abusing a 10-year-old and a 12-year-old boy.
He allegedly shared that story with several people.
Lincoln Erickson
One conversation on Ronnebaum’s phone was allegedly with Farmington Hills rehabilitation doctor Lincoln Erickson, a Wayne State graduate who worked at Detroit Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan.
He has since been fired.
Lincoln Erickson (WDIV)
Erickson and Ronnebaum allegedly spoke about wanting to travel to Thailand and sexually abusing children together.
“Love being a pedo,” read one text message.
Erickson reportedly shared a fantasy about having a relationship with a man where they would raise a child together that they would abuse and groom “from baby to adulthood.”
“Start them young,” read one message.
The FBI said Erickson reportedly shared in messages that he knows a father who allows him to abuse his 3-year-old son sexually.
Erickson was arrested at a Detroit hospital where he was a medical resident. He allegedly admitted receiving what he believed was AI‑generated child pornography from a man in Chicago.
Investigators said a Telegram chat on his phone showed him requesting more videos and writing, “Bro, I love other pedophiles. So hot.” Erickson is currently on probation for a 2024 domestic violence case.
Court hearings
Ronnebaum and Erickson appeared in court on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
Erickson was ordered to remain in custody without bond, with the next hearing scheduled for Jan. 6, 2026.
Prosecutors presented evidence of Erickson’s interactions with the father of three minors, including phone sex and in-person meetings, as well as disturbing messages regarding the children.
Erickson, who reportedly has a history of domestic violence and threatening behavior, allegedly attempted to impregnate an adult woman, described by the defense as his best friend.
The defense labeled the discussions of child sexual abuse as roleplay and fantasy, while the judge found the allegations alarming.
Ronnebaum consented to remaining in detention.
His next hearing will take place Dec. 24.
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