Former University Professor Sentenced to Over 18 Years for Child Exploitation Crimes

A former California university professor was sentenced to 222 months — more than 18 years — in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor and for distributing and receiving child sexual abuse material, the Justice Department announced.

Rodger Githens, 48, of West Sacramento, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake in Fresno federal court. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release, ordered to pay a $75,000 fine, and will be required to register as a sex offender. Restitution to victims will be determined at a later date.

Githens was convicted following a bench trial on May 1. At the time of his 2023 arrest, he was an associate professor at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, where he specialized in human resources development.

The case began in March 2023, when Githens initiated contact with an undercover FBI agent using a dating app, then moved the conversation to encrypted messaging where he communicated about sexual interest in young children. When law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence on April 19, 2023, agents discovered numerous Telegram chats in which he was exchanging and commenting on videos of the sexual abuse of young children.

“This verdict stems from overwhelming evidence of a sickening attempt by a privileged defendant to sexually abuse a 7-year-old child,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California.

The FBI’s Fresno resident agency investigated the case with assistance from the West Sacramento Police Department. The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, the Justice Department’s nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

By: Montana Newsroom wire