Charles Hilton, a 40-year-old resident of the District of Columbia, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for producing child pornography and sexually abusing a young girl. The sentencing took place on October 24, 2025, in U.S. District Court. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Hilton pleaded guilty on March 27, 2025, before Judge Ana C. Reyes to one count of coercion and enticement of a child and one count of first degree sexual abuse of a child with aggravating circumstances.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Reyes ordered Hilton to serve 15 years of supervised release following his incarceration and required him to register as a sex offender.
The sentencing announcement was joined by FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox from the Washington Field Office and Chief Pamela A. Smith from the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to authorities, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received three separate tips on November 21, 2024, about possession of child sex abuse material linked to Hilton’s accounts. These reports referenced over 1,000 files stored on a server connected with Hilton's information; approximately 20 files appeared homemade. The tipster provided identifying details including Hilton’s name and contact information.
Law enforcement obtained an arrest warrant for Hilton on November 26, 2024, along with authorization to search his Northeast D.C. residence where they recovered several digital devices.
During an interview with investigators, Hilton initially claimed that his accounts had been hacked but later admitted creating a video showing the sexual abuse after being confronted with evidence.
Investigators also found text messages indicating that Hilton blackmailed the minor victim by threatening to share embarrassing information unless she complied with his demands for sexual activity. He produced photos and videos documenting this abuse.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard S. Kelley and Jocelyn Bond.
“This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative,” according to the press release from prosecutors. “In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.” Additional information about this initiative can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
