JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 Christopher Lawhon, 36, of South Carolina and Tajareia Lawon Aikee Blackwell, 25, of North Carolina, face federal charges related to child sex abuse material offenses.<\/p>\n
The indictments were announced following their separate returns to the United States via the Jacksonville cruise port, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.<\/p>\n
Lawhon is charged with production and attempted production of child sex abuse material, while Blackwell is charged with its transportation, the news release states. If convicted, Lawhon faces a minimum penalty of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison.<\/p>\n
Blackwell faces a minimum penalty of 5 years and up to 20 years in federal prison. These charges stem from incidents discovered after cruises through international waters.<\/p>\n
Lawhon returned from his cruise on May 7, in possession of a cellphone. A border search of the phone allegedly revealed that Lawhon had stored multiple surreptitiously-recorded video files. At least one of these included a recording of a minor male child in a bathroom stall while the child was using the bathroom.<\/p>\n
Lawhon advised federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations that he had an interest in voyeurism and typically recorded other people in the bathroom, the news release states.<\/p>\n
Blackwell returned from his cruise on June 8. At that time, Blackwell had pending charges in North Carolina for indecent liberties with children and statutory rape from February 2026, the news release states.<\/p>\n
A border search of Blackwell and his cellphone revealed he had received child sex abuse material from the same 14-year-old child victim on Feb. 22. He then transported this material with him through the Middle District of Florida and international waters on the cruise, the news release states.<\/p>\n
These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Statesville, N.C., Police Department, the news release states. <\/p>\n
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