Missaukee County Man Sentenced To 90 Years For Sexual Exploitation Of Multiple Children

          GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced the sentencing of Nathan Gary Christensen, 45, of Manton, Michigan, to 1,080 months in custody with the Bureau of Prisons.  If released, Christensen must spend the rest of his life on supervised release. 

          “Mr. Christensen’s sexual abuse of innocent children is horrific," said U.S. Attorney Totten. “This 90-year sentence does not begin to undo the harm he’s inflicted on our most vulnerable.  No sexual predator who learns of Mr. Christensen’s fate should experience a moment of ease: we will find you and we will hold you accountable.”

          “These crimes are nothing less than monstrous,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “My thoughts are with the victims in this case, and it is my hope that today’s sentencing will bring some measure of peace as they heal from these horrific crimes. I would like to thank the Australian Federal Police and the HSI office in Canberra, whose vigilance helped bring this predator to justice.”

          At sentencing today, Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou denounced Christensen’s conduct as horrific.  Judge Jarbou stated that in her 25-years of experience as a lawyer and judge she had not seen anything like this before.  He “abused trust in the worse possible way and did it for years and did it to multiple victims” with children as young as “3-days old and 3-months old.”  Judge Jarbou observed that the “exploitation will last forever” and that the children and their families will be impacted the rest of their lives.  “The damage inflicted is life-long.”  Judge Jarbou announced that “a life sentence is appropriate,” and sentenced Christensen to 90 years to protect the community, punish him for his conduct, and to send a message of deterrence to others who might contemplate sexually abusing children. 

          In September 2022, Christensen was identified by Australian Federal Police as a collector of child pornography and a potential producer and contacted Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  In October, HSI and the Michigan State Police (MSP) located Christensen and executed search warrants on his home and another associated residence.  HSI and MSP then identified Christensen and recognized rooms in the home as the background of some of the images and videos. Christensen was immediately arrested on state charges of criminal sexual assault. 

          Computer forensic examination disclosed hundreds of thousands of images and videos of child pornography.  Christensen was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2023, and transferred to federal custody.  In total, eight children were identified as victims and located.  The victims were as young as 3-days-old and 3-months-old.  Two of the victims had special needs.  In March 2023, Christensen pleaded guilty to three counts stemming from his production of child pornography.  Each charge had a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a statutory maximum of 30 years.  By law, the court was permitted to run the sentences consecutively for a combined maximum of 90 years.  In June 2023, Christensen pleaded guilty in Missaukee County to criminal sexual conduct charges and will be sentenced next month with the agreement that his state sentence will run concurrent with the federal sentence. 

          This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.

          This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Mekaru and investigated by HSI Grand Rapids, Michigan State Police, MSP Internet Crimes Against Children taskforce in Traverse City, and the Missaukee County Sheriff’s Office in coordination with the Missaukee County Prosecutor’s Office. 

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