A months-long undercover child-exploitation probe has ended with the arrest of a 36-year-old Ukiah man who allegedly believed he was sexting with a 13-year-old boy, according to San Mateo County authorities.
The suspect, identified as Christopher G. Purtill, was arrested last Thursday near his Ukiah home after investigators say he engaged in sexually explicit online conversations with an officer posing as a 13-year-old. He is currently in Mendocino County custody pending further action.
Detectives with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office say they began an undercover chat operation in April in coordination with the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. During that investigation, Purtill allegedly exchanged explicit messages with the undercover officer, according to KTVU. Investigators used those conversations as the springboard for additional investigative steps and have described the probe as an active child-exploitation case.
Purtill was ultimately taken into custody in Ukiah and booked into the Mendocino County jail last Thursday, where he is being held at the county corrections complex. Mendocino County’s inmate-locator page lists the Ukiah corrections campus as the county facility where local detainees are housed, and officials say he will be transported to San Mateo County at a later date.
How the Operation Unfolded
Local investigators say the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office teamed up with the Ukiah Police Department and the California Department of Corrections to confront Purtill near his Ukiah residence last Thursday. He was initially arrested on a parole violation, then, after that, investigators sought and obtained a warrant connected to the undercover online chats, KTVU reports.
Legal Context
Public registry entries list Christopher Garry Purtill as a registered sex offender in Ukiah with prior convictions that include lewd or lascivious acts involving minors, according to OffenderRadar. If a defendant is charged under California Penal Code section 288, the statute covering lewd or lascivious acts on a child under 14, they can face a potential state prison sentence. Jury-instruction guidance for that statute appears in the state’s CALCRIM materials and related legal references. Justia summarizes the elements prosecutors must prove in a section 288(a) case.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office released the initial details of the operation to media outlets and identified the Internet Crimes Against Children task force as part of the investigative team. Prosecutors will decide whether to file formal charges once investigators submit their reports and evidence. Any criminal counts will be clarified in forthcoming court filings and official statements.
