A federal court in Wilmington, North Carolina has sentenced Jeffrey Bryant Champion, 37, to 29 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material. Champion pleaded guilty to the charges.
Court records indicate that Champion met a minor in Thailand and began abusing her when she was fourteen. Over two years, he traveled to Thailand several times, sexually abusing the victim and recording videos of the abuse. He also emotionally mistreated her. In November 2024, Champion sent money for her to travel from Thailand to the United States to stay with him, which led authorities to launch an international rescue operation in December 2024.
"Jeffrey Champion thought he could avoid detection by leaving the country, kidnapping a young girl, and bringing her to North Carolina to commit his egregious offenses. Our investigation and prosecution team displayed the global reach of federal law to bring him to justice, and his prison sentence serves as a reminder of the FBI’s commitment to protect children and crush violent crime," said Reid Davis, FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
The case was announced by Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The FBI led the investigation with assistance from the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office and Lynchburg Police Department in Virginia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin C. Blondel prosecuted.
