Wantagh Man Gets 28 Years In Prison For Child Exploitation: Feds

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — A Wantagh man has been sentenced to 28 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District announced.

As part of Monday's sentence at the courthouse in Central Islip, Christopher Bertsch, 38, must register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and not have unsupervised contact with minors, the U.S Attorney for the Eastern District said.

"Today’s sentence removes a dangerous predator who not only abused minors and
created videos of it but, horrifically, also operated a chat room where he instructed adults on how
to abuse minors and to create and share images of it," stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. "I urge parents and caregivers to encourage their children to tell a trusted adult if anyone asks them to engage in inappropriate behavior. Protecting children and holding those who harm vulnerable victims accountable for their actions are priorities of our Office."

As listed on the record in court proceedings, Bertsch sexually abused an 18-month-old toddler, created child pornography with that victim and others, and generated a large collection of child pornography, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.