Tucson Man Convicted of Child Sexual Abuse

     TUCSON, Ariz. – Christopher James Preston, 52, of Tucson, Arizona, was found guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child by a federal jury in Tucson. The case was tried before U.S. District Judge James A. Soto on July 10-16, 2019. The defendant is being held in custody pending sentencing, which is currently set before Judge Soto on September 26, 2019.

     The evidence at trial showed that in the summer of 1998, Preston sexually abused the 10-year-old victim at Preston’s home in Tucson, in the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation. At the time, Preston was the victim’s coach in the Thornydale Little League. Preston is a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation. 

     A conviction for aggravated sexual abuse of a child carries a maximum penalty of lifetime incarceration.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Tohono O’odham Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Matthew C. Cassell and Rui Wang, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.