A McAllen resident has been sentenced to over 33 years in prison for crimes involving the enticement of a minor and the production of child sexual abuse material. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced that Christian Hanks, aged 29, pleaded guilty to these charges on October 15, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced Hanks to concurrent terms of 400 months for enticement and 360 months for production of child pornography. The court highlighted the repeated nature and manipulation involved in these offenses, describing Hanks' actions as those of a sexual predator. Following his prison term, Hanks will be under supervised release for ten years with strict conditions limiting his access to children and the internet. He is also required to register as a sex offender.
"As the court found, the defendant’s behavior in this case was particularly abhorrent, and deserving of a significant sentence," stated Ganjei. "Children deserve to grow up in a safe community, free from the predations of individuals like Hanks."
Mark Lippa, Deputy Special Agent in Charge at Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), remarked on the significance of this sentencing: "The conviction and sentencing of this individual today highlights our steadfast dedication to safeguarding our children."
The investigation revealed that Hanks recorded himself abusing a minor victim in December 2023 and engaged in grooming behavior with another minor in Louisiana. He will remain in custody until transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation across Texas and Louisiana. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cahal P. McColgan and Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case under Project Safe Childhood (PSC), an initiative by the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation.