Police: USAF pilot traveled for sex with minor

A U.S. Air Force pilot is in custody after authorities say he traveled to Brevard County from Tampa for a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old child.

Christopher Everding, 27, was charged with online solicitation of a parent or child, according to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office. He is being held in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Police say the investigation began after Everding contacted an undercover agent in an Internet chat room. The agent was a member of the sheriff's office's Sexual Offender Registration and Tracking Unit, or SORT.

According to Maj. Tod Goodyear with BCSO, the chatting began around the first week of May.

"It was over a period of about 2 or 3 weeks that saw this chat conversation go back and forth," said Goodyear.

Over the course of several conversations, Everding expressed an interest in traveling to the Space Coast to engage in sexual relations with who he believed was a 14-year-old.

Everding was arrested on May 22 after he traveled to a prearranged location, police said.

Goodyear added police have search warrants for his residence in Tampa as they investigate whether he had done anything else inappropriate.

"We've seen it in other cases that we've worked where (they're) either involved in some form of child pornography or had been in contact with children," said Goodyear.

On a personal level, Goodyear was obviously pleased that authorities were able to apprehend Everding.

"It's one of those things where anybody that's on the internet searching actively for teenage children that's under the age of 16 for the purpose of having a sexual relationship that's a person that we want to take off the street and get them where they can't hurt a child," added Goodyear.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey also praised those who worked to bring Everding into custody in a statement.

"I can't thank our investigative team and the United States Attorney's Office enough for their efforts," Ivey said in a statement. "The activities the suspect was attempting to arrange with this child were particularly disturbing and vile."

Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact the sheriff's office at 321-633-8407.

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