Jonathan D. Ross U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas
Codi Vaughan, a 25-year-old resident of Fair Chance, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material. The sentencing was announced by Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and delivered by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
Vaughan was indicted on June 2, 2023, by a federal grand jury in Little Rock on five counts of production and three counts of receipt or distribution of child sexual abuse material. He pleaded guilty to one count on October 16, 2024. In addition to his prison sentence of 204 months, he will serve ten years of supervised release. Federal sentences do not allow for parole.
The investigation began after the FBI received a tip through the Secretary of the Air Force Inspector General hotline on February 3, 2023. The tip stated that Vaughan sought sexual relations with minors and had purchased child pornography. At the time, Vaughan worked as a mechanic for the Air Force and lived at Little Rock Air Force Base.
FBI Special Agents interviewed the minor who made the report from Maryland. The minor said Vaughan contacted her via Snapchat to buy child pornography from her and other minors. On February 6, 2023, Vaughan used Snapchat again to contact another minor in Maryland with similar requests. In both cases, he offered money in exchange for explicit content.
Further investigation found that Vaughan regularly communicated with minors in Maryland and Virginia through Snapchat since at least January 2022. This ongoing behavior led to an increased sentence. In one instance in January 2023, he offered $1,000 to a minor for performing sexual acts.
Authorities discovered that Vaughan used CashApp to pay or offer payment to minors for explicit material. His CashApp records showed several payments made to minors while being aware they were underage.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and assisted by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant prosecuted the case.
"Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker."
