A Greenwich attorney pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in New Haven to a charge of child exploitation.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, an international law investigation revealed that an IP address at residence of Christopher Bates Jr. was being used to access the dark web to view images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Bates was interviewed by agents from Homeland Security Investigations in November 2022 and consented to a search of his electronic devices. A forensic review of one of his laptops revealed approximately 1,222 images and two videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants.
Bates, who practices law in New York and Connecticut, was Bates was arrested in December 2022. Earlier this week, he pleaded guilty to possessing and accessing with intent to view child pornography, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
A sentencing date has not been scheduled. Bates is released on a $300,000 bond under electronic monitoring pending sentencing.
