Sex offender strikes again

Contributed Photo/Courtesy GCSO: Christopher Fredrick, 21, was booked into the jail on charges of molestation of a child, luring a minor for sexual exploitation and sexual conduct with a minor regarding his relationship with a 14-year-old girl. Fredrick was already on sexual offender probation for a similar incident with a 13-year-old girl in 2014.

By Jon Johnson

jon@gilavalleycentral.net

SAFFORD – A registered sex offender who is currently on probation for molestation of a child and sexual conduct with a minor recently chalked up another victim, according to police.

Christopher Jonathan Fredrick, 21, of Safford, was arrested and booked into the Graham County Jail on April 10 on charges of molestation of a child, luring a minor for sexual exploitation and sexual conduct with a minor. He is currently being held without bond and had his initial appearance in Safford Justice Court on April 13. 

Fredrick was previously sentenced in 2014 by then Graham County Superior Court Judge R. Douglas Holt to five years in prison and a lifetime on supervised probation with the first 10 years carrying sex offender terms. The sentence was in regard to a plea agreement in which Fredrick admitted to the attempted kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl and attempted molestation of a child. When a suspect pleads guilty to “attempted” charges, that usually means the suspect actually carried out the attempted charges but rather go through a trial to convict on the more serious crimes a plea bargain is struck. During a police investigation at that time, the victim allegedly admitted to having a sexual relationship with Fredrick, who was 18 at the time, and he allegedly admitted to performing inappropriate actions of a sexual nature with her.

According to police reports, Fredrick used social media to befriend the victim and start their relationship.

In the recent case, authorities learned Fredrick had befriended a 14-year-old girl through Facebook after the victim made a post where people rate how good you look. Fredrick allegedly struck up a conversation with the victim, which then led to multiple texts of a sexual nature on Facebook’s Messenger application. That led, allegedly, to the pair sending nude pictures of each other via SnapChat.

Fredrick eventually met up with the victim on April 9 at her grandmother’s house and passed himself off to her relatives as being just 16. While at the home, Fredrick inappropriately touched the victim in a sexual manner, according to the victim’s statement to police. Later that same day, the victim’s step-mother learned of the situation by seeing texts on Messenger between the two and informed the Safford Police.

After examining evidence, including the text messages, and interviewing the victim, authorities picked up Fredrick on April 10 and questioned him about his relationship with the minor.

During the interrogation, Fredrick allegedly admitted to talking to the victim at her grandmother’s house but refused to answer further questions regarding her. Instead, he asked for an attorney and said he knew the investigator was asking him questions in the same manner as the last time he was arrested for similar charges in 2014 and knew he wouldn’t be allowed to leave. Fredrick was then arrested and booked into the jail.

  

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