GRAND RAPIDS, MI (WOOD) A man has admitted to sexually exploiting minors in Western Michigan after being extradited from Spain to face federal charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan.
On Thursday, Christian Ignacio Feliz, 24, of Connecticut, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, the office announced in a release Friday.
Ferris admitted to using an Internet messaging platform to coerce a Kalamazoo minor to create and distribute child pornography of himself, according to his attorney’s office. This took place from October 2022 to January 2023. Ferris then went to Kalamazoo in early January 2023 and recorded himself having sex with the same minor, the office said.
He was indicted in March 2023 and extradited from Spain to face charges in November, the statement said.
“My office is committed to protecting our most vulnerable citizens from child exploitation,” U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said in a statement. “We thank the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, the FBI, and their persistent and successful efforts to bring Mr. Ferris to justice.”
Ferris is scheduled to be sentenced in May. He could be sentenced to 15 to 30 years in federal prison, his attorney’s office said.