Northern Colorado man sentenced to 29 years in prison for attempted production of child pornography

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Cullen Mackenzie Britton, 25, of Drake, Colorado, has been sentenced to 348 months in prison and a term of life probation after pleading guilty to attempted production of child pornography.

According to the plea agreement, over the course of approximately two years, Cullen contacted at least six minors between the ages of nine and 14 through a social media platform and attempted to induce the minors to produce and send him child pornography.

“The severity of this sentence demonstrates how seriously we take the sexual exploitation of children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “These heinous crimes will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

“This sentence represents a victory in the ongoing fight to protect our most vulnerable citizens: our children. This individual, who used social media to exploit and prey on minors, will now face the full burden of justice with a sentence that reflects the gravity of his crimes,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Denver. “HSI remains steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that those who endanger our communities, particularly our youth, are held accountable for their actions.”

Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing. The case was investigated by HSI Denver. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman handled the prosecution.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Project Safe Childhood is led by the United States Attorney’s Office and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. The project leverages federal, state, and local resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children. It also helps identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left side of the page.