Ex-Little Rock Firefighter Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography
Christian Burton, a 37-year-old former Little Rock firefighter, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on October 20, 2023. Burton pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, in exchange for the dismissal of the remaining charges against him, including the production charge, which carries a 15-year mandatory minimum prison sentence and a maximum of life in prison.
The case began when Burton was arrested at work on July 2, 2021, on a federal criminal complaint charging him with receipt and possession of child pornography. A superseding indictment later charged him with three counts of receipt of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and added one count of production of child pornography after investigators discovered a photo allegedly taken by Burton of a sleeping child with what prosecutors claimed showed Burton’s penis visible in the photo.
In court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Bryant sought a higher penalty due to Burton’s position of trust as a firefighter and the sophisticated nature of his offense, which involved using a foreign-based, encrypted messaging application to evade law enforcement. Burton’s defense attorney, Latrece Gray, argued against a harsh sentence, citing Burton’s family support and the consequences of a federal felony conviction, which would prevent him from working as a firefighter again.
