TAMPA — A 43-year-old Sarasota man who used social media to exploit children, including a 12-year-old girl he used to produce child sexual abuse material, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven imposed the sentence on Sean Christie after a jury found him guilty on Jan. 15 of production, distribution, receipt and access with intent to view child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced.
According to court documents, Christie used Kik, a social media application, to solicit, receive and distribute child sexual abuse material depicting minors under 12 years of age. Christie also used Snapchat to meet minor girls, including the 12-year-old victim he exploited to produce the material.
The FBI Tampa Field Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry prosecuted Christie in the Middle District of Florida.
The 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.” The program marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims.
Christie faces 25 years of federal incarceration with no possibility of parole under federal sentencing guidelines.