HAWAII COURT JAILS US MILITARY POLICEMAN FOR INTERNET GROOMING 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL
An American military policeman has been jailed in Hawaii for grooming a 12-year-old girl from Trowbridge in Wiltshire over the internet.The Hawaii Federal Court sentenced Christopher Ernest Fox to 15 years in prison following an international investigation into the internet grooming of the girl.
The investigation was initiated by Wiltshire Police, involving Hawaii’s Homeland Security Investigation Department and the District Attorney.
The girl, who traveled with her mother to attend court in Hawaii, reported to police in 2015 that she had been coerced into sending nude pictures of herself.
She identified Fox in a detailed video interview.
Forensic analysis of items she provided led to an arrest warrant for Fox at his address at Schofield Barracks, Waikiki.
Fox was found in possession of indecent images of the girl and extreme child pornography on his devices.
At the time of arrest, Fox was 19.
He pleaded guilty to five charges including cyber-stalking and sexual exploitation, and reached a deal with prosecutors.
He was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in prison, with an additional ten years of strict sanctions, including $10,000 restitution and ten years of supervised release.
Detective Constable Martyn Cole from Melksham CID, who traveled to Hawaii during the investigation, praised the outcome, stating the case was unusual due to the geographical distance but demonstrating effective international law enforcement cooperation.
The judge described Fox’s actions as a 'life-changing, traumatic experience' for the victim and emphasized the importance of reporting such crimes to authorities.