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Christopher Craig, 38, was sentenced to life in prison by a judge after being found guilty of aggravated sexual battery and object sexual penetration at trial in November 2024.
The Culpeper Police Department launched an investigation in May 2023, after receiving a credible report about an ongoing physical relationship between Craig and a juvenile victim in the Town of Culpeper, officials said.
Detectives led an extensive investigation, resulting in Craig’s arrest days after the probe was launched.
According to investigators, Craig used his relationships with other adults to gain unlimited access to the victim, which he then used to manipulate and groom the child.
Once Craig convinced the victim that they were in a romantic relationship, he exploited them for child pornography and sexual abuse, police said.
“We are pleased that we were able to stop a sex offender from ever being able to harm another child,” said Culpeper Commonwealth Attorney Russ Rabb. “These types of offenses have serious consequences, and in some cases, the best solution is removal of the offender from society.
Culpeper Police Chief Chris Settle praised the efforts of law enforcement and victim advocacy teams in securing the conviction.
“I applaud the exhaustive work (put in) to bring this abuser to justice, and to ensure that he will never harm anyone again,” Settle said. “I also want to highlight the support that Culpeper Victim/Witness Program and Culpeper Human Services gave the victim throughout the investigation and long court process.”
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