Crime & Safety
N. Dakota Man Accused Of Driving To CT For Sex With Minor: Feds
The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of traveling interstate with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
CONNECTICUT — A 35-year-old Fargo, North Dakota, man was sentenced Thursday to 37 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for traveling to Connecticut to attempt to engage in sex with a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Leonard C. Boyle.
Christopher J. Brereton was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford. In July 2021, Brereton pleaded guilty to one count of traveling interstate with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to court documents and statements, in January 2020, Brereton began chatting online with a minor female who had an online profile stating she was 18 years old. A month later, a law enforcement officer received permission to take over the minor's account and, in an undercover capacity, the officer informed Brereton of the girl's true age of 15 years old.
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However, Brereton continued to chat with the "girl," discussed engaging in sexual activity with her, and made plans to drive to Connecticut to meet her for sex, according to prosectors.
In March 2020, Brereton drove from North Dakota and arrived at a hotel in Meriden.
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At the hotel, Brereton unpacked lingerie and sexual paraphernalia he had purchased for the planned sexual encounter, according to prosecutors, and he was arrested later that day by New Haven Police on state charges after he drove to a location where he had arranged to meet the "girl."
Brereton has been in custody since his March 2020 arrest.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.
U.S. Attorney Boyle thanked the New Haven State Attorney's Office for its assistance in the prosecution of this case.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.