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Christopher Bertsch, age 38, of Wantagh, was sentenced to 28 years behind bars Monday, Oct. 24, in federal court in Central Islip.
It followed his guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a child in November 2020.
Prosecutors said an investigation into Bertsch had turned up a trove of dozens of videos and hundreds of images depicting him sexually abusing young kids.
One victim was just 18 months old at the time, prosecutors said.
Investigators determined that Bertsch had also operated an online chat room where he sent images of himself abusing children to others.
He also instructed others on how to initiate and carry out child sex abuse while recording it for his viewing, according to prosecutors.
Those who requested to join the online chat room were required to send “photographic proof” of themselves with a minor under their control, investigators 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,” US Attorney Breon Peace said.
“The outstanding undercover work of the FBI made this prosecution possible. I urge parents and caregivers to encourage their children to tell a trusted adult if anyone asks them to engage in inappropriate behavior.”
In addition to his prison term, Bertsch must register as a sex offender and is barred from having unsupervised contact with minors.
The case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, a coordinated effort between local, state, and federal agencies to track down individuals who exploit children using the internet.
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