A former Navy officer detained in a child exploitation undercover operation last year pleaded guilty to attempting to make child pornography on Friday.
Christopher Paul Hetherington, 33, initiated a sexually explicit conversation via the Internet in October 2022 with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old female, but who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.
Sexual misconduct case against retired Navy officer
In his communications with the girl, Hetherington used the screen moniker “sw0daddy,” a reference to his then-position as a Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy.
Hetherington repeatedly requested that the girl send him sexually explicit images of herself and inquired as to whether or not she was affiliated with law enforcement. Hetherington described over the phone the sexual acts he desired to perform on and with her.
After the conversation ended, Hetherington urged the girl to send him a screenshot of her genitalia via the Internet. In December 2022, Hetherington planned a sexual encounter with the female. On December 21, 2022, Hetherington was apprehended at his residence.
The court has set the sentencing date for Hetherington for August 9, 2023. He will serve at least 15 years in prison and might get up to 30. Actual punishments for federal crimes are typically lighter than the maximum penalties.
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Criminal case judge’s sentencing considerations
The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors will be considered when determining any sentence by a federal district court judge.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica D. Aber and NCIS Norfolk Field Office Special Agent in Charge Mack Hickman made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.
Victoria Liu, special assistant U.S. attorney, is prosecuting the case.
The Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood in May 2006 to tackle the rising pandemic of sexual exploitation and abuse of children across the country, and this case is part of that campaign.
Project Secure Childhood, led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, prosecute, and identify and rescue victims of online child exploitation.
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