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Undercover sting operation leads to sex crime charges against U.S. Navy officer in Norfolk

Hetherington pleaded guilty to charges on April 7, 2023. He's set to be sentenced on August 9, 2023, and could face up to 30 years in prison.

NORFOLK, Va. — UPDATE: Hetherington pleaded guilty to charges on April 7, 2023. He's set to be sentenced on August 9, 2023, and could face up to 30 years in prison.

Editor's note: Readers may find some details found in court documents disturbing in the description below.

In an undercover operation by the NCIS and Norfolk police to catch anyone trying to meet underage people online, special agents say they posed as a 14-year-old girl on an app meant to allow people to post anonymously in a chat. 

According to court records, in October, a special agent posted to the chat, posing as the teenager, complaining about having to do "homework." In that app, the agent said she received a response from someone, asking if she needed help.

The conversation moved to a different social media app where the agent said she discovered the username, "sw0daddy" to be under the name "Chris H."

The agent said she learned the acronym "SWO" in the username potentially stood for "Surface Warfare Officer." Detectives eventually connected the username to the personal cell phone of Christopher Hetherington.

The 33-year-old is listed as a U.S. Navy Lt. Commander stationed on USS Ross, which is homeported in Norfolk. He is also listed as a Surface Warfare Officer, according to court documents. 

The criminal complaint stated the agent in the chat said she, "advised I was 14 years old." 

The discussion then led to the agent telling Hetherington her "friend" was once with a man in his 30s, to which Hetherington replied, "Did you want someone that old?"

Deeper into the discussion, the criminal complaint stated Hetherington asked the person if she was a cop or affiliated with law enforcement in any way.

In November, court data shows Hetherington asking the undercover detective if she could "sneak away for a bit," adding, "I'm nervous making sure if I meet you I don't get in trouble."

Court documents state Hetherington then asked her what she would want to do if they met in person. Investigators said Hetherington then asked the undercover detective how much she experienced sexually, saying he would "teach her."

Special agents say they communicated with Hetherington for nearly two months until they connected his username to his cell phone.

When Hetherington scheduled a time to meet with the teenager at her home, that's when detectives say they arrested him.

Hetherington faces multiple charges, including attempting to entice a minor and attempting to produce child pornography. 

13News Now submitted a request for an interview at Western Tidewater Regional Jail, but we have not heard back from the jail administrators.

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