Bradenton man gets prison after downloading ‘questionable’ dark web material
A Bradenton man is headed to federal prison for the next decade after prosecutors said he downloaded child sexual abuse material from the “dark web.”
A federal judge sentenced Christopher Clark, 53, to 10 years in prison after investigators found thousands of child sexual abuse images and videos on his electronic devices, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Clark pleaded guilty in January to receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material, according to court records.
Clark faced a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, the Bradenton Herald previously reported.
The FBI began investigating Clark in May 2024, when agents identified an internet account connected to a dark web platform used to anonymously trade child sexual abuse material, according to an arrest report. Investigators said the user requested child sexual abuse material on multiple occasions and traced the IP address to Clark’s Bradenton apartment, where he lived alone.
In September, the FBI executed a search warrant at Clark’s home and seized about 45 electronic devices, including computers, cell phones and external hard drives, prosecutors said. A preview of one external hard drive revealed child sexual abuse images, and a more extensive review later uncovered thousands of photos and videos across several devices, according to investigators.
During an interview, the FBI said Clark admitted using a “dark web type of program” but denied downloading child sexual abuse material. When asked if he had ever seen images or videos related to children, he said, “I have seen some thumbnails that I thought were of questionable variety, but that’s all I’m going to say now,” according to an arrest report.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Bradenton Police Department and Sarasota Police Department.
