Sarasota Man Sentenced to 25 years for Producing, Distributing, Receiving, and Accessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

Tampa, Florida - Sean Christie (43, Sarasota) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven to 25 years in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), distribution of CSAM, receipt of CSAM, and access with intent to view CSAM. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

A jury found Christie guilty on January 15, 2026.

According to court documents, Christie used Kik, a social media application, to solicit, receive and distribute CSAM depicting minors under 12 years of age. Christie also used Snapchat to meet minor girls, including a 12-year-old victim whom he used to produce CSAM.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.

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 United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.