Christopher Paul Hetherington, 33, of Chesapeake, Virginia, United States is a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia.

In October 2022, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Norfolk Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted an operation that investigated people who engaged in sexual online enticement of minors. As part of the operation, NCIS special agent Lisa Carroll posted on social networking app Whisper where she posed as a high school student.

Hetherington responded to Carroll’s post on Whisper and continued communicating with who he thought was a high school student even if he was told she was 14 years old. He used a screen name of sw0daddy, which referenced his then-employment as a surface warfare officer on the USS Ross.

The U.S. Navy lieutenant asked for sexually explicit pictures of the girl who he believed to be a ninth grader. He detailed the sexual acts he wished to perform on and with her over the phone. 

Later, Hetherington encouraged the girl to show him her genitals. He also made plans to meet with her for sex.

On December 21, 2022, the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Hetherington at his residence in Chesapeake. He was booked into Western Tidewater Regional Jail in Suffolk, Virginia and charged with attempted coercion, enticement of a minor and attempted production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

On April 7, 2023, Hetherington pleaded guilty to attempted production of CSAM. He will be sentenced on August 9, 2023.