DENVER — A Colorado man pleaded guilty to attempted production of child pornography Sept. 11 and was sentenced to 29 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Denver Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch made the announcement.
Cullen Mackenzie Britton, 25, of Drake, contacted at least six minors between the ages of nine and 14 through a social media site and attempted to get them to create and send him child sexual abuse material over the course of about two years, according to the plea agreement.
“This sentence represents a victory in the ongoing battle to protect our most vulnerable citizens — our children. This individual, who used social media to exploit and prey on minors, will now face the full weight of justice with a sentence that reflects the seriousness of his crimes,” said Spradlin. “HSI remains steadfast in our commitment to ensure that those who endanger our communities, especially our youth, are held accountable for their actions.”
“The severity of this sentence shows how seriously we take sexual exploitation of children,” said acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “These abhorrent crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing. The case was investigated by HSI Denver and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman handled the prosecution.
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 U.S. attorney’s 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.
HSI is a global leader in the fight against child exploitation. Last year, HSI special agents dedicated 1.2 million case hours toward investigating child exploitation. This heinous crime harms the most vulnerable in our society: our kids. As technology evolves and more people have access to the internet, children are at a greater risk than ever. HSI’s special agents and analysts around the world are dedicated to countering this threat.
Report suspected child exploitation to the HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP or through the CyberTipline on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's website.
Learn more about HSI’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSIDenver.