Christopher Lynn Cliburn, Commercial Sex with Minor, Montana 2023

BILLINGS, Mont. - A Billings man accused of texting with undercover law enforcement to arrange for sex with a minor girl and showing up at an agreed-upon location admitted to a racketeering crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Christopher Lynn Cliburn, 60, pleaded guilty to use of facility in interstate commerce in aid of racketeering as charged in a superseding information. Cliburn faces a maximum of 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.

On Nov. 16, 2023, law enforcement placed an ad on a website depicting a fictitious 14-year-old girl. The ad suggested that the “girl” was willing to engage in sexual conduct for money. On Nov. 19, 2023, a phone number, later connected to Cliburn, responded to the ad.

Cliburn and an undercover officer then engaged in a series of text communications in which the parties discussed meeting for commercial sex, potential sexual acts that the “girl” would perform, and how much money Cliburn had. On Nov. 20, 2023, Cliburn indicated he was at the agreed-upon location in Billings and confirmed his presence by sending law enforcement a photograph.

Cliburn was detained pending further proceedings. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the federal government. The FBI conducted the investigation.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/billings-man-admits-arranging-commercial-sex-minor-girl-undercover-investigation