A Florida man, Charles William Maitski, 60, was sentenced to life in federal prison on Monday by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron for heinous crimes involving the production of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and enticing children to engage in sexual activity.
Maitski of St. Cloud pleaded guilty on July 8, 2025, bringing an end to a case that exposed a pattern of long-term online exploitation. The investigation began in June 2024 after law enforcement received a tip, which subsequently revealed Maitski had been sexually exploiting children online since at least 2012.
According to court documents, Maitski used the internet to contact and groom his young victims. He created a deceptive online persona, masquerading as a 14-year-old boy named “Chuck,” to build trust. Maitski utilized social media platforms, including Instagram and Discord, to connect with and groom his targets.
Maitski exchanged hundreds of messages a day with victims and sent them explicit images and videos of the young teenage boy he had adopted as his persona. Once trust was established, Maitski began escalating his demands, requiring his victims to perform on video calls and to record and send him increasingly graphic and degrading CSAM.
The extent of Maitski’s predatory behavior was staggering:
- Between 2023 and 2024, Maitski exchanged more than 50,000 messages with his victims.
- He contacted nearly 300 minors and suspected minors across Instagram and Discord.
- He sent, received, or directed the production of hundreds of images and videos of CSAM.
- In one alarming instance, Maitski attempted to convince a victim to molest children she was babysitting.
The case was investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Cloud Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan prosecuted the case, which culminated in the life sentence handed down by Judge Byron.
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