Minnesota Man Gets 17 Years in International Child Porn Case

Minneapolis, MN (MinnesotaNow) - A Minnesota man has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for a child pornography conviction connected to an international investigation.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for Minnesota says 45-year-old Christopher Robert Nelson was sentenced on Thursday at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis. Following the completion of his prison term, the Eagan man will also be on supervised release for an additional five years.

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11 Year Old Victim

His conviction involved charges that he enticed and coerced an 11-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct and send him sexually explicit materials. Federal prosecutors say Nelson communicated with the child through a messaging application and would send her money through a peer-to-peer money transfer app.

Investigation Began After Return From the Philippines

Court documents indicate that he was taken into custody in September 2023 when he returned to the U.S. from the Philippines, and a search of his phone was conducted because his passport was flagged for possible involvement in child sex trafficking. A forensic examination of his phone resulted in the discovery of approximately 400 images and videos of child sexual abuse material.

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Investigators Identified 25 Known Victims

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reviewed the materials and identified 25 known victims. Videos found on his phone depicted children as young as 8 years old from Thailand engaging in sexual acts.

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Federal prosecutors say the investigation also uncovered messages between Nelson and a person claiming to be a mother in the Philippines discussing his plans to travel to the country to engage in sexual conduct with children.