Codi Vaughan, a 25-year-old from Fair Chance, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material. The sentence was announced by Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and handed down by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
Vaughan was indicted on June 2, 2023, by a federal grand jury in Little Rock on five counts of production and three counts of receipt or distribution of child sexual abuse material. He pleaded guilty to one count on October 16, 2024. In addition to the prison term of 204 months, Vaughan will serve ten years of supervised release after his sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation began when the FBI received a tip through the Secretary of the Air Force Inspector General hotline on February 3, 2023. The tip alleged that Vaughan wanted to have sexual relations with minors and had purchased child pornography. At the time, Vaughan worked as a mechanic for the Air Force and lived at Little Rock Air Force Base.
FBI Special Agents interviewed a minor in Maryland who reported that Vaughan contacted her via Snapchat seeking to buy child pornography from her and other minors. On February 6, 2023, Vaughan again used Snapchat to contact another minor in Maryland with similar requests and offers of payment. Investigators found that since at least January 2022, Vaughan had regularly communicated with minors in Maryland and Virginia using Snapchat and offered money for self-produced child pornography.
In January 2023, he offered $1,000 to a minor to perform sexual acts. A review of his CashApp transactions revealed multiple payments made to minors during these contacts.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations with assistance from the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
“Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.”
