Sacramento County Sex Offender Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Christopher Campbell, 49, of Citrus Heights, was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in February 2023, Campbell engaged in an online chat with an undercover officer whom Campbell believed was a 13-year-old girl. As a result of the conversations, law enforcement search Campbell’s residence and seized his iPad and cellphone, which contained approximately 517 images and 45 videos of child pornography. Law enforcement also searched Campbell’s Mega cloud storage account, which contained approximately 169 videos of child pornography, including depictions of toddlers and other minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Campbell was subject to an enhanced statutory penalty for possession of child pornography because he had a prior conviction relating to sexual abuse involving a minor.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily G. Sauvageau and Dhruv Sharma prosecuted the case.

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 those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.