A 49-year-old German national, who previously worked in an IT role for the German military’s U.S. outpost in northern Virginia, has been sentenced to six years and six months in prison.
His conviction stems from his involvement in downloading child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Details of the Crime and Investigation
Peter Markus Kuttke, a German citizen living in Reston, Virginia, admitted in January 2025 to receiving CSAM.
Federal agents began their investigation after discovering that CSAM files were available for download on the file-sharing platform Bit-Torrent, linked to an IP address connected to Kuttke’s residence.
Following this lead, federal agents executed a search warrant at his home on December 1, 2023.
They uncovered multiple electronic devices that contained numerous CSAM videos and images, including disturbing videos showing adults abusing young children.
Legal Proceedings and Prosecution
Kuttke’s case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and he was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Erik S.
Siebert from the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz from the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
The case was part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, a nationwide effort to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Project Safe Childhood Initiative
Project Safe Childhood, launched in May 2006, works to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals involved in online child exploitation.
The initiative also focuses on identifying and rescuing victims of these horrific crimes.
For more information about the project, visit the official website at www.justice.gov/psc.
This case serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight against child exploitation, with law enforcement agencies working tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice and protect vulnerable children.