Vanessa Roberts Avery, US Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations Boston, announced on Tuesday that Christopher Bates Jr, 36, of Greenwich, was arrested Tuesday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with child pornography offenses.
Bates appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was released on a $300,000 bond under electronic monitoring.
As alleged in court documents, an international law investigation revealed that an IP address at Bates’ residence was being used to access the dark web to view images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
On November 30, 2022, HSI agents interviewed Bates, who consented to a search of his electronic devices. A forensic preview of one of his laptops revealed approximately 1,000 images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants. A full forensic examination of his electronic devices is ongoing.
The complaint charges Bates with receipt of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and possession of child pornography, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Greenwich Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.