33-Year-Old Charged For Enticing Minors

A 33-year-old Sarasota man is facing multiple charges Monday after authorities said he picked up a 15-year-old boy and had sexual activity with him.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrested Michael Thomas Christner, of 2325 Temple St., Sarasota, and charged him with:

• one count of Using a Computer to Entice a Child to Engage in Sexual Activity; 
• one count of Traveling to Meet a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity; and 
• 13 counts of the Transmission of Material Harmful to Minors.

The events occurred between Dec. 21 and Jan. 5, when Christner had reportedly met his victim through a social networking application and Christner  had texted various pornographic images including sadomasochistic scenes to the victim's cellphone, according to the affidavit.

Over the course of two weeks, the images were sent, and then Christner picked the teen up at the boy's neighborhood early this month after sneaking out of his home in the early hours, then was driven to Bradenton where the two engaged in sexual acts, according to the affidavit.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for Christner’s home and it was executed early Monday with the assistance of the Sarasota Police Department. Detectives recovered more than a dozen pictures of people engaged in sexual acts as well as nude photos of Christner that he sent to the teen victim, according to the sheriff's office.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is also investigating the allegation that Christner drove the victim to Bradenton to engage in sexual activity, which could result in additional charges.