Christian Hine was President of the Charlotte, North Carolina, Tea Party and active in Republican campaigns. He had a long history of activism on behalf of conservative issues such as opposing the Affordable Care Act to opposing local tax measures. He also looked at child exploitation materials, sharing hundreds of images over ten years.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison with eight years suspended. In a novel and disgusting attempt to avoid any prison time, he claimed he viewed child sexual exploitation media because he was depressed and autistic and that made him addicted to child pornography. In gross malfeasance, the Charlotte Observer wrote an offensively credulous article accepting that.
- Charlotte Observer: Former Charlotte Tea Party chief headed to prison on child porn conviction
- The Herald: Fort Mill man jailed on 20 child porn charges after state police investigation
- Inquisitr: Christian Hine: Tea Party Political Activist Guilty On Child Porn Charges — ‘Self Medicating’ For Depression, Autism
