Steven Jon Frederiksen, a 42-year-old Army Lieutenant Colonel from Stafford, Virginia, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for producing child pornography and attempting to coerce minors through social media and instant messaging apps. The sentence, handed down in Alexandria, Virginia, marks the end of a federal case that exposed how a high-ranking military intelligence officer used his position and technology to exploit teenage girls.
Frederiksen pleaded guilty on August 2, 2016, admitting he used platforms like Kik to target and manipulate at least four girls, ages 14 to 17, into creating explicit images. He stored the illicit material in a cloud-based account, systematically organizing the files like a predator with a plan. Authorities say he also tried to entice two additional minors, showing a relentless pattern of grooming and abuse.
At the time of the crimes in November 2015, Frederiksen was employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and committed these acts using a government-issued laptop. The FBI was alerted to his activity after digital forensics flagged suspicious behavior. Investigators uncovered not only the images he collected but also evidence that he traded child pornography with others online, deepening the scope of his criminal network.
U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee imposed the maximum penalty, including 20 years of supervised release following incarceration. Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate all confirmed the sentencing, underscoring the severity of a crime that betrayed both public trust and federal duty.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with support from the Army Criminal Investigative Command at Fort Belvoir. Prosecution was handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Burke IV and Criminal Division Trial Attorney Lauren Britsch of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), who called the case a textbook example of online predation masked by military rank.
This case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, the Justice Department’s nationwide initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. Court records, including Case No. 1:16-cr-96, are available via the Eastern District of Virginia’s District Court website and PACER. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia has released official statements detailing the full extent of Frederiksen’s crimes.
Related Federal Cases
- Lucas Aronson Gets 17 Years for Child Porn Production · Washington
- Portsmouth Man Gets 9 Years for Child Porn Distribution · New Hampshire
- Riverside Man Walter Klink Gets 20 Years for Child Porn · Virginia
- Dillwyn Man Gets 30 Months for Child Porn Possession · Virginia
- Brandon Matthew Florin Gets 10 Years for Child Porn Ring · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Sex CrimesSex CrimesSex CrimesSex Crimes