Clinton J. Johnson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma
A former youth pastor has been sentenced for crimes involving the attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, as well as possession of child pornography. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Chaz Chinsethagid, aged 34 and from Jenks, to 168 months in prison followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Chinsethagid will be required to register as a sex offender.
Court documents reveal that between December 2023 and March 2024, Chinsethagid knowingly entered an online chat room where he engaged in conversations with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old. The conversation quickly turned sexual, with Chinsethagid attempting to entice the minor into participating in a video call or providing sexually explicit photos.
Chinsethagid also admitted to possessing explicit videos and images of children under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
He will remain in custody pending his transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project coordinates federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals exploiting children via the Internet while identifying and rescuing victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit Justice.gov/PSC.
