According to the Middle District Office (DOJ) of the United States Department of Justice, a former teacher and youth ministry leader in Macon is guilty to possessing child pornography and faces a potential sentence of up to twenty years in prison.
The evidence that was produced in court demonstrated that during the summer of 2023, federal investigators with Homeland Security Investigations were conducting an investigation into individuals who were utilizing encrypted applications to disseminate child sexual abuse material (CSAM). During this investigation, they identified Christian Baumgarth, who was 27 years old.
Baumgarth worked at First Presbyterian Day School in Macon from 2018 until 2023, during which time he was both a teacher and a coach. During the years 2019 through 2023, Baumgarth also served as a volunteer in the student ministry at Northway Church in Macon, where he led small groups of students.
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In accordance with a search warrant that was executed on August 1, 2023, agents went to Baumgarth’s residence and seized a number of electronic devices as reported by WGXA News.
Two of Baumgarth’s iPhones were forensically inspected, and the Department of Justice reported that they included twenty photographs and thirteen films of CSAM. During the course of the investigation conducted by law enforcement, Baumgarth admitted to possessing the item.
Baumgarth entered a guilty plea on July 8 for the charge of possessing child pornography, which amounts to one count. In addition to a fine of up to $250,000, he may face a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison, which would be followed by supervised release for an undetermined period of time.
After Baumgarth is released from prison, he will register himself as a sexual offender registration. According to the Department of Justice, his sentence is planned on October 9th.