Bahamian student sentenced to over 18 years in US prison for child sexual exploitation crimes

A 22-year-old Bahamian student has been sentenced to 220 months in U.S. federal prison for multiple crimes involving child sexual abuse materials, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced this week.

Chrystano Peder Carmelo Cooper, who was lawfully residing in the United States on an F1 student visa, was convicted of four charges: Sexual Exploitation of a Child/Use of a Child to Produce a Visual Depiction, Distribution of Certain Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Receipt of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, and Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.

Cooper’s sentence—18 years and four months—was ordered to run concurrently across all counts. After serving his time, he will be removed from the United States and required to register as a sex offender.

The charges stemmed from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). According to federal prosecutors, between December 2022 and February 2024, while attending college in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Cooper induced a minor to produce and share sexually explicit images over the internet. A federal search warrant led to the seizure of Cooper’s cellphone, which investigators said contained multiple images of child sexual abuse involving the victim.