Prince George’s County Man Indicted on Charges of Sexually Exploiting Minors to Produce Child Sexual Abuse Material

Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury indicted Christopher Alexander Watts, 27, of Mount Rainier, Maryland, charging him with four counts of producing child sexual abuse material.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - Baltimore Field Office.

According to the indictment, between January and May 2024, Watts persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced four minor females to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Watts exploited the minors for the purpose of producing visual depictions of the sexually explicit conduct.

If convicted, Watts faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of the four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

This case is 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. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, visit justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation, and the Prince George's County Police Department for its valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brooke Oki and Megan S. McKoy who are prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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