Colorado man imprisoned for enticing children 9-14 years old

A 25-year-old man from Drake was recently sentenced to 29 years in federal prison for his attempts to convince children to send him sexually explicit photos and videos through private messaging platforms. 

The case against Cullen Mackenzie Britton began in July 2020 when a 14-year-old girl contacted the Loveland Police Department and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The girl told authorities Britton was trying to get her to send him pictures of her genitalia. 

Authorities identified Britton, a pizza delivery driver, as the owner of the Snapchat account that was used to entice the girl, per case documents. They arrested Britton at Denver International Airport upon his return from a vacation in Mexico. Britton's two cell phones were then seized and searched. One contained the Snapchat conversation with the 14-year-old: 

 "I told you I don't want to send it to you," the girl stated after Britton's first request.

"Why? What's wrong with it (sic)," Britton replied.

"I'm not comfortable," the 14-year-old countered.

Before ending the conversation with the 14-year-old, Britton shared his hometown, workplace, age, where he would like to meet her and the youngest age of children that interested him. Britton told the girl that age was six years old, "but thats (sic) as low as I'll go."

Authorities later took a third cell phone from Britton. Between the three phones, explicit Snapchat conversations were found with a half dozen children. Aside from the 14-year-old, Britton engaged with kids aged 9, 10, 10, 11, and 12. 

The first cell phone alone contained 15 photos and 684 videos of child pornography. 

Authorities also located a WhatsApp exchange of child pornography between Britton and Chris Ciesielski. Ciesielski was prosecuted by federal authorities in Michigan and pleaded guilty to manufacturing child pornography. Ciesielski had taken video of a 1-year-old girl's molestation, according to a court document from that case. He was sentenced to more than 45 years in prison. 

Britton, after being taken into custody at DIA, told Homeland Security investigators in a recorded interview that he chatted with at least 50 different girls on Snapchat, Anonychat, Kik, Telegram and Instagram during the previous year. He admitted knowing some of them were underage.

Britton reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. He was sentenced Sept. 5 on a single count of attempted production of child pornography. 

Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing and required Britton undergo supervision for the rest of his life when he is released from prison. Britton must also register as a sex offender when he gets out.  

"The severity of this sentence shows how seriously we take sexual exploitation of children," Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch stated in a press release.

"This sentence represents a victory in the ongoing battle to protect our most vulnerable citizens - our children," Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Denver Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin added in the same release. "This individual, who used social media to exploit and prey on minors, will now face the full weight of justice with a sentence that reflects the seriousness of his crimes."  

The case was investigated and prosecuted in part under the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative.

Britton is currently housed in FCI Englewood.