A Crystal man has admitted guilt to several charges of producing child pornography involving teenage girls in Minnesota and other states, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
Court documents reveal that from April 2022 to September 13, 2023, Dapree Richard Christlieb-Peterson, aged 22, used internet applications, social media platforms, and text messaging to engage minors in sexually explicit conversations. His aim was to entice and coerce them into illegal sexual encounters with him. Christlieb-Peterson targeted at least five minors between the ages of 12 and 17 in Minnesota, Florida, and elsewhere for creating images and videos of their sexually explicit conduct. He was aware of the victims' ages either through direct disclosure or because it was apparent on their social media profiles. The accused coerced his minor victims into engaging in sexually explicit activities with him, recorded these acts on a cell phone, and subsequently distributed the resulting child pornography.
On February 4, 2024, Christlieb-Peterson pleaded guilty before Judge Eric C. Tostrud in U.S. District Court to five counts of production and attempted production of child pornography. A sentencing hearing is yet to be scheduled.
The investigation leading to this case was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations along with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006—to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse across the nation. It seeks to use federal, state, and local resources effectively to locate offenders who exploit children via the Internet while also identifying and rescuing victims.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Classen and Robert M. Lewis.