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Press Release

Sex offender gets 40 years for sharing child pornography in two states

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas

HOUSTON – A 44-year-old registered sex offender has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of distributing and possessing child pornography in two separate federal cases, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Timothy Lee Tyler, pleaded guilty Sept. 12, 2022, to distributing child pornography in 2020 and to possessing child pornography in both 2019 and 2020.

Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen sentenced Tyler to 360 and 240 months for the distribution and possession convictions, respectively. A portion of the sentences will run consecutively for a total 480-month term of imprisonment. Before imposing sentence, the court heard Tyler had previously committed hands-on offenses against children he knew through friends and loved ones and that he had encouraged other users on the Kik messaging app to create child pornography for his enjoyment.

Tyler was further ordered to pay a total of $28,100 in restitution to his victims and will serve 20 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Tyler will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

“For years, this person preyed upon children,” said Hamdani. “Online, he encouraged other predators to abuse their own children for his sick gratification. In real life, he terrorized and abused children of people close to him. This sentence will help ensure he isn’t allowed access to children ever again.”

At the time of his plea, Tyler admitted he was staying with friends in Conroe in September 2020. During that time, he started distributing child pornography from his cellphone on the Kik messenger app. When Tyler was arrested, his cellphone contained hundreds of images and videos depicting bestiality, bondage and sexual abuse of children. Tyler also admitted to possessing hundreds of child pornography files on a flash drive while residing in Milwaukee in June 2019.

Tyler, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Montgomery County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Conroe Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Bauman and Sherri Zack prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.

Updated June 5, 2023

Topic
Firearms Offenses