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Indianapolis Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sexual Abuse Material

Christopher J. White was sentenced after pleading guilty to distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material, according to official records.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 20, 2026, 8:49 a.m. ET
According to official court records from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana released on August 7, 2026, Christopher J. White, 46, of Indianapolis, was to 16 years and three months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt imposed the sentence after White pleaded guilty to distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material. White was also ordered to pay $27,0000.00 in restitution. Court records state that on March 19, 2024, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to White's home following a domestic disturbance report. A relative discovered sexually explicit images of minors on White's phone, and witnesses reported that White, a registered sex offender with a 2016 conviction for child exploitation and possession of child sexual abuse material, had posted images of a minor relative under eight years old on social media. A forensic analysis revealed White had been distributing and receiving sexually explicit images of children since November 2023. Investigators recovered at least 13 files depicting violence or exploitation and more than 600 additional images, including approximately 1,038 files identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department as part of Project Safe Childhood, launched in May 2006, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle M. Sawa. Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, stated, "Protecting children from exploitation is one of our most critical responsibilities." Ike Barnes, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Indianapolis Field Office, stated, "The sentence in this case reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s actions."

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  1. Version 120 Aug 2026, 12:49current

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