Associated Suspect
Connie Lynn Thompson was charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly destroying electronic devices to conceal the alleged child exploitation crimes of Christopher Welcher, who was also arrested during the operation, as is more fully described below. Approximately a week after Welcher’s arrest, he allegedly called Thompson from jail and discussed a plan to destroy electronic devices that contained evidence against him. Although Thompson allegedly executed the concealment plan, the FBI recovered the damaged devices from Thompson’s household trash. She was arrested on May 16, 2025.
Indictment and Court Information
Court of Record The United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia – Rome Division
Custody
Court records show that Thompson has been released prior to trial, while Welcher remains in custody at an unnamed detention facility in the Rome, GA area pending trial.
Next Court Appearance
The Pretrial Conference for case 4:25-CR-00020-WMR-WEJ-2 has set for June 3rd, 2025 at 10:00 AM before Federal Magistrate Judge Walter E. Johnson.
Indictment
On April 23, 2025, both Welcher and Thompson were indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on the following charges.
Count One – Attempted Enticement of a Minor
On or about March 4, 2025, in the Northern District of Georgia and elsewhere, the defendant, CHRISTOPHER WELCHER, using a facility and means of interstate and foreign commerce, that is, a cellular telephone connected to the Internet, knowingly attempted to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual who had not yet attained the age of 18 years to engage in sexual activity for which any person could be charged with a criminal offense, that is, Aggravated Child Molestation (O .C.G.A. §§ 16-6-4(a) & (c)), all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b).
Count Two – Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct
On or about March 4, 2025, in the Northern District of Georgia and elsewhere, the defendant, CHRISTOPHER WELCHER, did knowingly travel in interstate commerce, from Alabama to Georgia, for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct, as defined in Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(g)(l), all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b).
Count Three – Commission of a Felony Involving a Minor by a Registered Sex Offender
On or about March 4, 2025, in the Northern District of Georgia and elsewhere, the defendant, CHRISTOPHER WELCHER, being required by Federal and other law
to register as a sex offender, did commit a felony offense involving a minor in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b), and a felony offense involving a minor in violation of Title 18, Section 2423(b), to wit: the felony offenses alleged in Counts One and Two of this Indictment, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2260A.
Count Four – Possession of a Visual Depiction of a Minor Engaging in Sexually Explicit Conduct
On or about March 4, 2025, in the Northern District of Georgia, the defendant, CHRISTOPHER WELCHER, did knowingly possess at least one visual depiction of
a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, as defined in Title 18, United States Code, Section 2256(2), said depiction (a) having been produced using a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, (b) involving at least one prepubescent minor and at least one minor who had not attained 12 years of age, and (c) having been shipped and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, by any means, including by computer, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and 2252(b)(2).
Count Five – Obstruction of Justice
On or about March 12, 2025, in the Northern District of Georgia, the defendants, CHRISTOPHER WELCHER and CONNIE LYNN THOMPSON, aided and abetted by
each other, did corruptly attempt to alter, destroy, mutilate, and conceal a record, document, and other object, namely, a laptop computer and digital storage devices, with the intent to impair their integrity and availability for use in an official proceeding, that is, a proceeding before a judge or court of the United States, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(c)(l), and Section 2.
Additional Information within Indictment
In addition to the counts above, the following was presented within the indictment.
Prior Conviction Notice
Prior to committing the offense alleged in Count Four of this Indictment, the defendant, CHRISTOPHER WELCHER, was convicted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia of Distribution of Child Pornography, an offense under Chapter 110 of Title 18, United States Code.
Forfeiture Provision
Upon conviction of one or more of the offenses alleged in Counts One and Two of this Indictment, the defendant, CHRISTOPHER WELCHER, shall forfeit to the United States, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 2428, any property, real or personal, that was used or intended to be used to commit or to facilitate the commission of the offense, and any property, real or personal, constituting or derived from any proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result of the offense.
Upon conviction of the offense alleged in Count Four of this Indictment, the defendant, CHRISTOPHER WELCHER, shall forfeit to the United States of America, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 2253:
- Any visual depiction described in Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251, 2251A, or 2252, or any book, magazine, periodical, film, videotape, or
other matter which contains any such visual depiction, which was produced, transported, mailed, shipped, or received in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Chapter 110; - Any property, real or personal, constituting or traceable to gross profits or other proceeds obtained from the offense; and
- Any property, real or personal, used or intended to be used to commit or to promote the commission of the offenses, or any property traceable to such
property.
The property to be forfeited includes, but is not limited to, the following:
MONEY JUDGMENT: A sum of money in United States currency, representing the amount of proceeds obtained as a result of the offenses alleged in Counts One through Three of this Indictment.
If any of the above-described forfeitable property, as a result of any act or omission of the defendant, CHRISTOPHER WELCHER:
(a) cannot be located upon the exercise of due diligence;
(b) has been transferred or sold to, or deposited with, a third party;
(c) has been placed beyond the jurisdiction of the court;
(d) has been substantially diminished in value; or
(e) has been commingled with other property which cannot be divided without difficulty,
it is the intent of the United States, pursuant to Title 21, United States Section, Section 853(p), as incorporated by Title 18, United States Code, Section 2253(b) and Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461(c), to seek forfeiture of any other property of the defendant up to the value of the forfeitable property described above.
Sex Offender Status
Information from the Georgia Sex Offender Registry shows that Welcher, born in 1980, registered on the GA SOR on Jan 28th, 2021 for an Out of State Sexual Offense for which he was convicted on Sep 1st, 2016. His last verified residence was in Grantville, GA. The residence is also connected through public records to Thompson.