Sailor from Lemoore Charged with Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Christopher Jeorge Millican, 26, of Lemoore, charging him with one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on July 27, 2018, a parent contacted Snapchat and reported that someone, later identified as Millican, had been “flirting” with an 11-year-old girl and soliciting pictures of and location information for the child. Snapchat reviewed Millican’s account and discovered that he had been soliciting several minors for sexually explicit content.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Central Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, specifically the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Hanford Police Department, the Fresno office of Homeland Security Investigations, and several local police agencies across the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Millican faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years for the sexual exploitation charge, a mandatory minimum prison term of five years and a maximum of 20 years for receipt of child pornography, and a fine up to $250,000 for each count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This 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. Led by the United States Attorneys’ 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.