Source: Office of United States Attorneys
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – An indictment was unsealed charging a U.S. Navy service member with multiple federal crimes after he allegedly manipulated a minor victim over social media for months and exchanged sexually explicit photos and videos of her.
Bryce Lucas Stimka, 24, currently stationed in Augusta, Georgia, was arrested on July 30, 2025.
According to court documents, between July 17, 2024 and March 30, 2025, Stimka allegedly began communicating with a 14-year-old girl he met and began manipulating her on social media. Over the course of their communication, more than 15,000 texts were exchanged between Stimka and the minor victim discussing various sex acts, the victim’s age, and their potential relationship. Additionally, sexually explicit images and videos of the victim were exchanged. The social media account was linked to Stimka by subscriber information (including IP addresses) matching Stimka, and photos of himself in his social media account.
Stimka is charged with production of child pornography, coercion and enticement for illegal sexual activity, and receipt of child pornography. His initial appearance in Utah has yet to be scheduled.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by an Officer with the West Valley Police Department assigned to the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Special assistance was provided the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and the FBI Atlanta Field Office, Augusta Resident Agency.
Assistant United States Attorney Carol A. Dain of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.