A Gilbert man will serve 23 years in prison for attempting to solicit a minor for sexual activity.

According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, Christopher Michael Alexander, 32, was sentenced to 23 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to the charge.

“According to evidence presented in Court, on May 19, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Secret Service (USSS), South Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, and Mount Pleasant Police Department participated in an online chat operation targeting child sex offenders, where an officer posed as a 13-year-old female,” the release states. “That day, Alexander engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the alleged 13-year-old female as well as sent and requested sexually explicit photographs through various social media applications and text messages. Alexander ultimately traveled to the residence where he believed the 13-year-old lived to engage in sexual activities with her. At that time, he was arrested.

“Evidence presented in court indicated Alexander made admissions to law enforcement that he previously engaged in numerous occasions of the sexual battery of minors. Alexander admitted that he had previously digitally penetrated at least 25 infants on hundreds of occasions as well as digitally penetrated another minor child approximately six times a day for weeks.”

Senior U.S. District Judge Terry Wotten levied the prison sentence and stipulated that Alexander be registered as a sex offender and be placed under lifetime court-ordered supervision following his release. The federal system does not allow for parole.

“This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse,” the release states. “Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.”

Alexander was one of 33 suspects, including residents of Columbia, Lexington, Gaston and Leesville, that were arrested in 2022 as part of a statewide operation to root out sexual predators hosted by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington Police Department and the state Attorney General’s Office.

“The intent of these suspects during these communications is clear,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon was quoted in a release announcing the arrests. "They wanted to persuade, entice or coerce someone they reasonably believed to be under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity."