Athens man sentenced to 30 years for inappropriate filming of child
Chris Adam Valentine (Athens-Clarke County Sheriffs Ofifce )
ATHENS, Ga. - A 37-year-old Athens man will spend 30 years in federal prison for the sexual exploitation of a 7-year-old child.
Chris Adam Valentine admitted he filmed a 7-year-old child engaging in sexual conduct with a man in 2022.
As part of the plea deal, he will serve 360 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release and $90,000 restitution. He will also be required to register as a sexual offender upon release from prison.
Valentine pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child on May 28 and was sentenced on Tuesday.
"Our office is determined to identify and remove child predators from our communities and hold them fully accountable for their heinous crimes," said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. "Protecting the most vulnerable citizens from harm is a priority for law enforcement at every level."
"Thanks to the diligent efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and its law enforcement partners, this predator will now spend three decades behind bars for his appalling actions," said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta, which covers Georgia and Alabama. "This investigation underscores our commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals and pursuing justice for those who seek to exploit and harm children."
"Cases like these exemplify the value of partnerships between local, state and federal agencies," said Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Saulters. "These heinous crimes will not be tolerated in our community. We will continue to work with our partners to protect the children of this community and will pursue those who prey on them."
According to Clarke County Superior Court records, Valentine has been arrested multiple times since 2017, including animal cruelty charges in 2022 and simple battery charges in 2019.
The Source: The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Georgia, provided the details for this case. Clarke County Superior Court records were also used.