A Lake Orion woman arrested after making sexually explicit videos of herself and three young children and then distributing those videos online has been arraigned on charges of criminal sexual conduct involving minors and could face life in prison.

The arrest and arraignment came after a joint investigation by the Lake Orion Police Department and the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security that began in October.

Katrina Lane Rickard, 31, of Lake Orion was arrested at a home in Waterford on Nov. 21, 2017, said Lake Orion Police Chief Jerry Narsh in a Jan. 17 news release.

Rickard was arraigned Jan. 11 before Magistrate Marie Soma at the 52/3 District Court in Rochester Hills on three counts:

• One count of Criminal Sexual Conduct 1^st Degree involving a person under age 13,
• Two counts on Criminal Sexual Conduct 2^nd Degree involving a person under age 13.

The first count carries the possibility of a life sentence with a mandatory minimum of 25 years. The CSC 2^nd Degree counts are each up to 15 years.

Lake Orion police received notification from Oakland County Child Protective Services “of possible illegal activity involving children at a home in Lake Orion,” Narsh said in the news release.

Through the joint investigation, authorities determined that Rickard had made sexually explicit videos with three children under age 13 and then used Facebook Messenger to send those videos to a 37-year-old man living in Alden, Mich.

The man was arrested the same day as Rickard. Both have been charged under federal law for manufacturing and distributing child sexual content and are in federal custody awaiting trial.

The news release said the children “are known to (Rickard) and who she has access to,” but did not specify the nature of the relationship.

Authorities obtained search warrants and discovered evidence that the criminal sexual conduct did occur in the Lake Orion residence.

Rickard’s bond was set at $300,000 cash during the arraignment, and a probable cause conference is scheduled for Jan. 23 before 52/3 District Court Judge Julie A. Nicholson.  — By Jim Newell