OKLAHOMA – Yesterday, TYLER JAMES ROSS, 39, of Oklahoma City was sentenced to serve 65 months in federal prison for possessing material containing images of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On September 30, 2021, a one-count Information charged Ross with knowingly possessing material containing child pornography that involved a prepubescent minor on his computer and an external hard drive. On October 29, 2021, Ross pleaded guilty to the Information. As part of his plea, Ross admitted that he knowingly possessed thousands of images of child pornography and over a thousand videos of child pornography on his laptop computer and an external hard drive in June of 2020. He further admitted that many of these images and videos involved prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained the age of 12 years.
Yesterday, Senior U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot sentenced Ross to serve 65 months in federal prison for his conduct, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Ross was also ordered to pay a total of $10,100.00 in special assessments. A restitution hearing for the victims in the case will be set at a later date. In imposing the sentence, Judge Friot highlighted the serious nature of the offense, noting that Ross possessed over 35,000 unique images and just under 1,800 unique videos of child pornography. Judge Friot also noted that Ross’s conduct exploited those who are most vulnerable. Upon his release from prison, Ross will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bow Bottomly prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood, marshals, federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.