Springfield Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Springfield, Mo., man has been indicted on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor.

Ryan Lee Christoph, 25, of Springfield, was charged in three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017.

The federal indictment alleges that Christoph used a minor, identified as “Jane Doe” (born in 2003), to produce child pornography from April 29 to Aug. 15, 2017. The indictment also alleges that Christoph used the internet and a cell phone to induce Jane Doe to engage in illicit sexual activity. Christoph is also charged with one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.
 
Larson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Project Safe Childhood
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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."