A former Champaign County election official has pleaded guilty in federal court to distributing child pornography after admitting to sending illegal images and videos to an undercover FBI agent and possessing thousands more files depicting the sexual abuse of children.
Christopher Creamer, 40, of Urbana, entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court to one count of distributing child pornography. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, his plea agreement recommends a prison sentence ranging from 60 to 210 months.
Court documents state that between June and August 2025, Creamer communicated through the messaging app Telegram with an individual he believed to be another user but who was actually an undercover FBI agent. During those conversations, prosecutors said Creamer sent two images and 16 videos containing child sexual abuse material. He also discussed his interest in the sexual abuse of children.
Federal agents later executed a search of Creamer’s electronic devices, where investigators discovered more than 3,000 images and 130 videos depicting child sexual abuse material. Authorities said the collection included images showing the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, as well as sadomasochistic abuse.
Creamer was arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint in March 2026.
At the time of his arrest, Creamer was serving as deputy director of the Champaign County Board of Elections. The Board of Elections’ website listed him in that position in March 2026, but he is no longer listed as an employee.
Although Creamer and federal prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence between five and 17½ years in prison, the final sentence will be determined by the court after considering the advisory federal sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors during a future sentencing hearing.
The guilty plea was announced by Dominick S. Gerace II, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cincinnati Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina E. Mahy is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was conducted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2006 to combat the online sexual exploitation and abuse of children. The program brings together federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to identify offenders, prosecute those who exploit children online, and locate victims.
A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
