A Florida man who spent more than a decade preying on children online was sentenced Monday to life in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron imposed the sentence on 60-year-old Charles William Maitski for producing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and enticing minors to engage in sexual acts.
Maitski, of St. Cloud, pleaded guilty on July 8, 2025. His plea closed a disturbing case that revealed years of calculated online exploitation. The investigation began in June 2024 after a law-enforcement tip led authorities to evidence showing that Maitski had been targeting minors online since at least 2012.
Court documents show that Maitski created a fake persona—a supposed 14-year-old boy named “Chuck”—to gain the trust of vulnerable children. He used platforms such as Instagram and Discord to contact, groom, and manipulate his victims. Maitski exchanged hundreds of messages daily, sending explicit images and videos of the teen persona he portrayed.
Key findings of the investigation revealed:
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Between 2023 and 2024, he exchanged more than 50,000 messages with victims.
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He contacted nearly 300 minors or suspected minors across multiple platforms.
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He sent, received, or directed the creation of hundreds of CSAM images and videos.
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In one aggravated instance, he attempted to persuade a victim to harm children she was babysitting.
Once he gained trust, Maitski escalated his demands to include graphic acts on video calls and recorded material he directed victims to produce.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Cloud Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan prosecuted the case, culminating in Maitski’s life sentence.
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