Zachary T. Lee Acting United States Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia
A Buchanan, Virginia man has been sentenced to 24 years in federal prison for child sexual exploitation and possession of child pornography. Christopher Buono, 45, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to both charges.
The incident took place during a party at Buono’s residence in January 2024. According to court documents, Buono took a minor female, approximately six years old, into his game room where her pants and underwear were pulled down, exposing her genitals. Buono then used his cellphone to take sexually explicit photographs of the victim and later sent one of these images via a messaging application to another individual with a sexual interest in minors.
United States Attorney C. Todd Gilbert commented on the sentencing: “Individuals who take advantage of children, be it online or in person, must be held accountable for their actions. This sentence sends a clear message that anyone targeting children in the Western District of Virginia will be held accountable to the fullest extent possible.”
The Department of Homeland Security led the investigation with assistance from the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 aimed at protecting children from exploitation and abuse by coordinating federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute offenders as well as identify victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
