FRESNO, Calif. — Christopher Contreras, 30, of Fresno, was handed a 15-year-and-nine-month sentence today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston for his despicable acts of attempted coercion and actual coercion of minors. The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert.
Contreras’s sentence also includes 20 years of supervised release, during which time his access to minors, computers, and the internet will be severely restricted. He was additionally ordered to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, Contreras engaged in sexually explicit communications for about a week with what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl using messaging apps Skout and Snapchat, as well as text messages. His intention was to meet her for sexual activity on July 31, 2020, in Fresno. However, the individual was actually an undercover law enforcement investigator. Contreras was arrested, booked into the Fresno County Jail, and released on bail.
On Oct. 13, 2020, after picking up a juvenile from a location in Fresno using arrangements made through the Meet Me app, Contreras found himself under arrest once more. He faced numerous felony violations of California law at the Fresno County Jail, where he was later charged federally and has been in federal custody since June 10, 2021.
This case was the fruit of an investigation by the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with Homeland Security Investigations leading the charge. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and the Fresno Police Department also played crucial roles. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa prosecuted the case.
Contreras’s conviction is a part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative by the Department of Justice since 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information on this initiative, visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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