Date: 02-10-2018

Case Style:

Case Number: 4:17-cr-00003-RRB

Judge: Ralph R. Beistline

Court: United States District Court for the District of Alaska (North Star Borough)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Kyle Frederick Reardon

Defendant's Attorney: Gary George Colbath - FPD for Davis

Scott Dattan for Germain

Description: Fairbanks, AK - Fairbanks Couple Sentenced for Producing and Distributing Child Pornography

A Fairbanks couple has been sentenced in federal court for producing and distributing child pornography.

Christopher Duane Davis, 32, of Fairbanks, was sentenced February 2, 2018 by U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline, to serve 35 years in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Charity Noel Germain, 27, of Fairbanks, was previously sentenced on Dec. 15, 2017, to serve 22 years in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Davis previously pleaded guilty on Nov. 3, 2017, to production and distribution of child pornography. Germain previously pleaded guilty on April 27, 2017, to conspiracy to produce child pornography.

According to court documents, beginning in June 2015, Davis and Germain conspired to produce visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Germain and Davis gained the trust of families with small children, whom they would then babysit. While babysitting for the children, Davis and Germain would sexually abuse the children and record the abuse. Davis would then share the images and videos with other pedophiles on the internet.

Davis and Germain became the subject of a federal investigation after an undercover law enforcement agent working with the Australian government identified Davis’s profile on a foreign-based photo-sharing site known to host images of child pornography. From Nov. 23 through Dec. 16, 2016, during email communications with the agent, Davis described having access to children through his girlfriend and to engaging in sexual acts or producing sexual explicit images of these children while his girlfriend was baby-sitting them.

A search warrant on Davis’s email account revealed instances where he distributed images of child pornography to others. Located on Davis’s computer were multiple child pornography images and videos, which Davis and Germain had produced. The images showed Germain was present with the victims during production, posing the child, and assisting Davis with the sexual exploitation of the child.

“We have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Schroder. “The 35 year sentence issued today by Judge Beistline first and foremost will protect Alaskan children from this predator. Moreover, it sends a strong signal to the community that dedicated law enforcement officers, like the HSI agents in this case, are working countless hours to track down and prosecute child sexual offenders.”

“A cyber monster’s perverse desires often turn into physical victimization and a child’s worst nightmare,” said Brad Bench, special agent in charge of HSI Seattle. “While we are satisfied with this sentence for the horrific crimes committed by this defendant, we must remember the young victims who are often left with permanent psychological, physical and emotional scars. This sentence is a testament to the dedicated HSI agents who aggressively hunt down these abusive pedophiles and bring them out of the shadows to receive the judgement they deserve.”

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Reardon prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice ongoing Project Safe Child (PSC) initiative. In May 2006, DOJ launched PSC, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, PSC combines federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, identify and rescue victims and to educate the public about safe Internet use, thereby reducing the risk that children might fall prey to online sexual predators. For more information about PSC, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.

Outcome: Davis was sentenced to 32 years in prison and Germain to 22 years in prison.

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