A Roanoke Rapids man, Christopher Skipper, 39, was sentenced on Tuesday by a federal judge to 17 years in prison for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Skipper had previously pled guilty to these charges while he was already on federal supervised release for an earlier conviction related to child pornography. The court imposed a sentence of 210 months in prison, with an additional 18 months for violating his supervision terms, and five years of supervised release.
“Our office will continue to protect children and prosecute child predators who exploit and abuse the most vulnerable members of our community. If you hurt children this way, we will find you and hold you accountable for the endless revictimization that these children face. We will put you in federal prison for as long as possible to protect our communities and children,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
“Let this sentencing serve as a stark warning: Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners will stop at nothing to identify, investigate, and bring to justice those who exploit and harm our children,” said Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant, who also oversees North and South Carolina. “The depraved actions of individuals like this defendant will not go unanswered. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect the most innocent among us and ensure that predators face the full consequences of their crimes.”
Court documents showed that the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding Skipper during fall 2024. Investigators found that Skipper used a Kik social media account to distribute CSAM. A search of his account uncovered multiple exchanges where explicit images were shared, CSAM was distributed, and he expressed sexual interest in minors.
On June 27, 2024, Skipper sent images and videos containing CSAM—including a video showing the sexual assault of a young girl—to another user on Kik. Further investigation traced the account activity back to Skipper’s home in Roanoke Rapids.
During sentencing, it was noted that authorities discovered over 700 videos depicting CSAM on Skipper’s phone. The court cited both his statements indicating interest in children and the severe impact such distribution has on victims.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006—designed to combat child sexual exploitation online by combining resources from federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle announced the sentence after Judge James C. Dever III presided over the hearing. The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar led prosecution efforts.
