DEFENDANT SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT FOR USING ACCESS TO INFANT AND TODDLER TO PRODUCE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL

Spokane, Washington - First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on March 11, 2026, Christopher Scott Marsh, age 45, was sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release after using his access to extremely young children to produce child sexual abuse material, abusing a position of trust and exploiting victims too young to understand or report the abuse.

According to court records filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, Marsh used children in his care-one two-year-old and the other an infant under the age of one-to create sexually explicit material. At the time of the offenses, the children were being cared for by the defendant's girlfriend and, in part, by Marsh himself. Prosecutors emphasized that Marsh occupied a position of trust and used that access to exploit and abuse particularly vulnerable minors. Because of their extremely young ages, the children had no meaningful ability to understand what was happening or to report the abuse. Their limited verbal skills and developmental stage left them without any opportunity to stop or disclose the conduct.

Prosecutors also outlined evidence that the Marsh's sexual interest in children was longstanding. Court filings indicate he had been consuming child sexual abuse material for approximately 14 to 20 years and possessed a significant volume of illegal images and videos. Investigators further determined that he created additional exploitative material by digitally manipulating images of a real minor he knew, placing that child's face onto existing explicit content. Prosecutors argued that the defendant's escalating behavior demonstrated the need for a substantial term of imprisonment to protect the public and deter future offenses.

In this case, Marsh entered a global plea agreement, which required him to enter a plea of guilty to both the federal offenses detailed herein as well as two counts of Child Molestation in the First Degree, in violation of RCW 9A.44.083, in Spokane County Superior Court. Marsh will enter his guilty pleas in Spokane County now that the federal sentence has been imposed.

First Assistant Serrano said, "The impact of an offense like this extends well beyond the child victims; these crimes impact the victims' families and our entire community. The families that entrusted Marsh are now left in a vulnerable place with extreme anxiety and difficulty trusting any caretaker as they move forward. Crimes against children a priority to my office; we will do everything possible to protect the children of our community."

"It is heartbreaking that Mr. Marsh took advantage of the trust placed in him to exploit children who depended on him for care and protection," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "In doing so, he caused long-lasting suffering to the young victims and their families. Holding child predators accountable for their crimes is important but difficult work, and I commend the investigators and prosecutors who keep our communities and children safe."

"Predators who exploit our most vulnerable threaten the sanctity and security of our community at every level." Said Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney Preston McCollam. "Cases like this underscore the critical importance of strong partnerships between local and federal agencies. I am deeply grateful for the diligent, professional team of local and federal partners who work tirelessly every day to hold offenders like this accountable."

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Spokane Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alison L. Gregoire of the Eastern District of Washington and Amanda Fry for the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

For additional information, please contact the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington