Turlock Man Accused of Transporting Minor for Sex Crimes

A 27-year-old Turlock man has been accused of transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and receiving child pornography, federal authorities announced Thursday.

Christian Ceja, 27, of Turlock, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between Aug. 27, 2023, and Jan. 3, 2024, Ceja allegedly transported a minor victim from the Eastern District of California to Idaho with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

In addition to the transportation charge, Ceja is also accused of receiving images of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, authorities said.

The case is the product of an investigation by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department and Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea J. Kenny is prosecuting the case, which carries a mandatory statutory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for the most serious charged count.

Ceza also faces a $250,000 fine per count, plus up to a lifetime of supervised release, if convicted.

The charges against Ceja are only allegations, and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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.

Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.