LOS ANGELES
A federal judge Thursday sentenced a Santa Barbara County man to 20 years and six months in prison for distribution of child pornography, according to officials.
Christopher Robin Coates, 43, of Carpinteria, met minors in online chat rooms dedicated to youths seeking father figures and manipulated them into sending him child pornography images of themselves.
According to court records, Coates would also share the minors’ online “handles” with other persons seeking to exploit children.
When law enforcement officers searched his digital devices, they found more than 1,000 images and 128 videos depicting child pornography.
Court documents indicate that Coates used the Kik Messenger app to distribute child pornography to underage victims. Coates had several prior convictions for possessing child pornography in addition to a conviction for sexual battery on a disabled adult.
In July, 2015, based on a tip to the Postal Inspection Service by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, law enforcement officers conducted a parole search of Coates’ residence.
During the search, authorities recovered a Samsung tablet under a mattress that contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.
Coates was originally arrested and charged with multiple child exploitation crimes in Santa Barbara County by Santa Barbara District Attorney Joyce Dudley.
The District Attorney’s Office subsequently dismissed the state charges when the federal indictment was filed.