PHILADELPHIA - First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Christopher O’Sullivan, 31, of Philadelphia, was charged by Indictment with one count of using a facility of interstate commerce to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, and one count of manufacturing child pornography.
The indictment alleges that between June 21 and July 23, 2019, O’Sullivan enticed a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity and manufactured child pornography. Court documents allege that O’Sullivan, a middle school teacher, coerced a 12-year-old minor boy to take a sexually explicit photograph and text it to O’Sullivan, and that O’Sullivan discussed sexual activity with the minor over text messaging. O’Sullivan was arrested by criminal complaint on Aug. 30, 2019, in Plattsburgh, New York, and he has been detained since that time.
Anyone with additional information regarding O’Sullivan related to the sexual abuse of minors is encouraged to contact the FBI - Philadelphia at (215)418-4000.
“The defendant’s alleged abuse of his position of trust in our community for his perverse gratification is over," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “Child sexual exploitation is appallingly pervasive, exacerbated by the easy availability of digital media and communications, and it demands an aggressive response. We stand ready with our federal partners to identify and prosecute individuals that perpetuate this abuse."
“Rather than live up to a teacher’s commitment to care for his students, O’Sullivan robbed this young boy of his innocence and childhood. Although today’s indictment cannot repair the damage O’Sullivan caused, it sends the message that the FBI and our partners, like the Philadelphia Police Department’s Special Victims Unit, remain committed to hunting down child predators," said Michael T. Harpster, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the FBI.
If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a maximum possible sentence of lifetime imprisonment, a mandatory minimum term of 5 years up to a lifetime of supervised release, a $500,000 fine, a $200 special assessment, and a $10,000 additional assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan. An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
