A federal jury in Tampa has convicted Sean Anthony Christie, a 43-year-old resident of Sarasota, on charges related to child sexual abuse material. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
Christie was found guilty of producing, distributing, and receiving child sex abuse material, as well as accessing such material with intent to view it. Evidence presented during the trial showed that Christie used social media platforms to solicit, receive, and distribute explicit content involving minors under the age of 12. Additionally, he used another social media application to contact minor girls, including a 12-year-old victim whom he exploited to produce child sexual abuse material.
Christie faces up to 80 years in federal prison. A date for his sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation into this case. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry is prosecuting the case.
"This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims," according to information provided by authorities. More details about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
