An indictment has been unsealed detailing the charges against Bryce Lucas Stimka, a U.S. Navy service member stationed in Georgia, who now faces federal crimes linked to a case of child sexual exploitation. Stimka, 24, was arrested on charges that include the production of child pornography, coercion and enticement for illegal sexual activity, and receipt of child pornography, after he allegedly enticed and manipulated a 14-year-old girl over social media.
The U.S. Department of Justice released the indictment, which states that between July 17, 2024, and March 30, 2025, over 15,000 texts were exchanged between the sailor and the minor. These communications involved discussions of various sex acts, the victim’s age, and the potential relationship they might have. The reports also detail that explicit images and videos of the minor were sent to Stimka, who was linked to the social media account by subscriber information, which included IP addresses and visual confirmation through photos.
Stimka, who was stationed in Augusta, was taken into custody on July 30, with his initial court appearance in Utah yet to be scheduled. The case has been a collaborative investigative effort, with an officer from the West Valley Police Department assigned to the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force heading up the investigation, with assistance from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and the FBI Atlanta Field Office, Augusta Resident Agency.
