Child Exploitation Ring Leader Killed in Michigan Prison, Second Member Hurt: Report

Child Exploitation Ring Leader Killed in Michigan Prison, Second Member Hurt: Report
Christian Maire was allegedly stabbed by fellow inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Milan, Michigan, seen above (Google Street View)
Jack Phillips
1/4/2019
Updated:
1/4/2019
A prisoner who was convicted and sentenced for his role in an international child exploitation ring died in an alleged targeted attack on him by fellow inmates, according to the Detroit News.

Christian Maire was allegedly stabbed by fellow inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Milan, Michigan, the report said.

Maire, from Burlington, New York, died on Jan. 2 in an attack that left three other inmates injured, Milan prison spokesman Dan Clore confirmed to the publication.

Details surrounding the attack are not clear, but a source told the Detroit News that one attacker was armed with a homemade prison knife, known colloquially as a shank.

A statement Friday via the Federal Bureau of Prisons said that Maire had life-threatening injuries following the “altercation” at the detention center, reported The Associated Press, which described the incident as a fight rather than a targeted attack.

“It’s murder and it’s horrible for anyone to get hurt or injured,” said attorney Raymond Cassar. “This just doesn’t happen in a Michigan federal prison system.”

According to AP, seven inmates were involved in the fight at the southeastern Michigan facility.

Two prison staff members had minor injuries, AP reported.

Michal Figura, 36, an IT specialist at the University of Pennsylvania who was sentenced for his role in the ring, was also injured in the attack, sources told the Detroit News.

Maire, who was less than one month into his 40-year prison sentence, died at a hospital hours later, Clore said. Maire was sentenced last month.

One 20-year-old victim at Marie’s hearing said they were satisfied with the 40-year prison term. “That’s basically life,” the victim told the Detroit News. “And he’s gonna get the hell beat out of him.”

Maire, Figura, and other members of the ring posed as teen boys to lure preteen and teenage girls into private chatrooms. They were then manipulated into sending them lewd images. Officials said that more than 100 girls were victimized.

During the sentencing phase last month, Maire essentially admitted his role in the ring.

“I’ve shattered so many lives,” Maire told U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy. “I never thought I could sink this low. I apologize to all of my victims. I took advantage of your youth and trust and put my own selfishness above your dignity.”

In a previous report from the Detroit News, investigators mentioned a suspect website to Figura while searching his home, where he was living with his young children and wife.

“When they mentioned Website A…Figura began to cry and did not make further statements,” FBI Special Agent Adam Christensen wrote in a court filing.

Maire’s death illustrates the danger faced by inmates who have committed sex crimes. Last May, sports doctor Larry Nassar, who was convicted of sexually abusing U.S. gymnasts, was assaulted by inmates at a federal prison in Arizona.

The detention center is part of the larger Milan prison campus. Inmates residing in the detention center are awaiting trial, sentencing, or a permanent prison assignment.

There are 220 men at the detention center, and there are 1,150 more in the minimum-security prison.

Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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