ANNISTON, Ala. – A St. Clair County man has been sentenced on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor, announced Acting United States Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.United States District Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Tyler Robert Curtis, 34, of Pell City, Alabama, to 162 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release. Curtis was also ordered to pay a $3,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act. In September 2025, Curtis pleaded guilty to distribution and possession of child pornography.According to the plea agreement, on September 4, 2024, the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Kik, a social media provider, reported to NCMEC that Curtis had uploaded images of child pornography to his account. During the investigation, the SBI determined that the IP address used to access the account originated from a residence in Pell City, Alabama. On September 11, 2024, SBI executed a state search warrant on the residence. The agents searched Curtis’s bedroom and seized his cell phone. A forensic examination of the device revealed images of child pornography. Curtis also searched for and downloaded child pornography on the cell phone.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, 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 Justice.gov/PSC.If you suspect or become aware of the possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.The Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018 (AVAA) created new penalties and made several changes to existing child pornography laws. In the passage of this legislation, Congress intended for victims of child pornography to be compensated for the harms resulting from every perpetrator who contributes to their anguish. The amounts received as AVAA special assessments are deposited in the Child Pornography Victims Reserve to pay defined monetary assistance to victims.Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case along with the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation and the Autauga County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice