DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE NEWS RELEASE

Today, a Second Judicial District Court judge sentenced Christopher Purtee to the maximum sentence of three years in prison after he was arrested in May for attempting to meet a child for sexual activity following a multi-agency, four-day undercover operation, “Operation Game Over.”

Purtee was arrested and charged with Child Solicitation by Electronic Communication Device after he was caught engaging in a sexually explicit online chat with a decoy account identifying as a 14-year-old boy. After confirming the decoy’s age as 14, Purtee sent photos of himself, including his genitals and discussed possession of condoms and other sexual paraphernalia.

After graphically describing sexual acts they would engage in, Purtee indicated he would pick up “lube” and meet the decoy at the agreed-upon address. When he arrived at the door, he was apprehended by law enforcement.

In addition to serving three years in the New Mexico Department of Corrections, Purtee will also be placed on a 5-20 year sex offender parole and will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years upon his release.

This operation was conducted jointly by NMDOJ undercover agents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) and the Santa Fe Police Department (SFPD). Agencies collaborated on undercover chats, surveillance, and the takedowns that followed.