GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A 24-year-old man has pleaded guilty to child sexual exploitation after being extradited to Michigan from Spain, according to a report from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan.
Christian Ignacio Feliz of Connecticut filed the complaint in U.S. District Court on Thursday, February 8th.
Ferris was indicted in March 2023 and extradited from Spain in November to face federal charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan said in a news release.
As part of his defense, Ferris used internet messaging platforms to coerce minors in Kalamazoo to create and distribute child pornography of himself between October 2022 and January 2023, according to U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. I admitted that I did it. According to a news release, Ferris visited Kalamazoo from Jan. 3 to Jan. 5, 2023, and filmed videos of him engaging in sex acts with minors, at least one of which appeared on his account on the messaging platform Discord. It is said that it was sent to.
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“My office is committed to protecting our most vulnerable citizens from child exploitation,” Totten said in a news release. “We thank the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, the FBI, and their persistent and successful efforts to bring Mr. Ferris to justice.”
Sentencing is scheduled for May 29th before U.S. District Court Judge Jane M. Beckering. Ferris could be sentenced to a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison.
“Those who dare to victimize innocent children will face the full force of the law,” said Chevorie Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Michigan FBI. “The FBI is relentless in protecting children from dangerous predators and will stop at nothing to pursue criminals, no matter where they hide.”
Gibson said the FBI encourages the public to report child sexual abuse by calling 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324) or submitting information online at tips.fbi.gov. and urged people to report suspected crimes of physical abuse.
“The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety recognizes that these types of crimes are complex and difficult to investigate at the local level,” KDPS Chief David Boysen said in a news release.
“Thanks to the continued cooperation and support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, the FBI, and special agents, we were able to see a successful outcome in this investigation,” the Director said.
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