Dublin man arrested in Utah on federal child exploitation charges

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Dublin, Ohio, man was arrested in Utah and charged federally with sexual exploitation crimes against minors.

Wade S. Christofferson, 72, was arrested on Nov. 20. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Utah today and his case was unsealed at that time. Christofferson is charged with attempting to sexually exploit a minor and with coercion and enticement.

According to charging documents, on Nov. 12, the Dublin Police Department received a report regarding the alleged sexual abuse of an Ohio minor by Christofferson that occurred when the victim was approximately 7 and 8 years old.

It is alleged Christofferson sexually abused the child in person 15 to 20 times.

He also allegedly engaged in a sexually explicit FaceTime call with a second minor victim and sent coded letters to her Utah home that referenced sexual activity. Christofferson also committed hands-on sexual abuse of that child as well.

A complaint affidavit details that Christofferson allegedly taught the 7-year-old Utah victim code words like “snow” for vagina, “friends” for nipples, “asterisk (*)” for naked, a drawn “smiley face” for rubs and “SS” for “Secret Spanks.” The defendant was allegedly overheard on a FaceTime call asking the victim if he could see her “snow” and “friends.”

Letters referenced in the charging documents include “Top Secret” hand-written messages. For example, Christofferson wrote to the Utah victim, telling her “It was nice to see Snow and her friends when we FaceTimed…” and “I can’t wait to see you and play * games! I have a new one to teach you called ‘school.’ You will like it!”

In one letter Christofferson allegedly included coupons he said were “Good for one * game with me!! You get to choose the game!”

Dublin police officers conducted a search at Christofferson’s residence the day they received the report of alleged abuse. They discovered an area of the home that was accessed by a child size door with “H POTTER” written on it. Inside the modified attic crawl space area, officers discovered children’s writing on the walls and a mattress, pillows and blankets on the floor.

Christofferson’s phone allegedly included search history for “criminal defense attorneys sex crimes columbus ohio” and “In Ohio do clergy have to report child abuse confessions.”

The defendant will be extradited from Utah to the Southern District of Ohio.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Dublin Police Chief Justin Paez and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force announced the charges.

U.S. Attorney Gerace commended the significant contributions to this case by the FBI Salt Lake City Division, the Payson, Utah Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.

Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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