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Fairfield County resident Christopher Bates, Jr. of Greenwich pleaded guilty to a child exploitation offense on Wednesday, Feb. 7, according to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.
According to federal officials, Bates' arrest resulted from an international law investigation that revealed an IP address at his residence had been used to access the dark web and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
On Nov. 30, 2022, Bates was interviewed by Homeland Security Investigations agents and consented to a search of his electronic devices. A forensic review of one of his laptops eventually resulted in authorities finding around 1,222 images and two videos showing the sexual abuse of children, including infants, officials said.
Following the search, Bates was arrested on Dec. 13, 2022.
Bates, an attorney licensed in Connecticut and New York, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to possessing and accessing with intent to view child pornography. This carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
His sentencing date has not yet been scheduled, officials said. He is now released on a $300,000 bond under electronic monitoring until his sentencing.
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