LUBBOCK, TEXAS — A 20-year-old man was sentenced Wednesday to more than 15 years in prison for producing child pornography by getting a 12-year-old female to send him sexually explicit photographs of herself.
In December, Tyrell Daniels, 20, of Abilene, pleaded guilty to producing child pornography, federal officials said. Daniels was sentenced to 15 years and eight months.
Officials said Daniels has been in custody since his arrest in November 2013 on a related federal criminal complaint.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
According to his plea papers, Daniels met the female child online in September and communicated with her using his cell phone, officials said.
Daniels communicated with her for several days using his cell phone.
During that time, authorities said Daniels often discussed his desire to engage in sexual intercourse with Jane Doe, even though she had informed him that she was only 12-years-old.
On September 12, 2013, Daniels used Internet messaging to ask Jane Doe to send a topless photo of herself to him.
She complied, and Daniels told her that he would not post her pictures on the Internet if she would send him a more sexually explicit photo of her genitals.
While Jane Doe sent Daniels a sexually explicit photo, he told her that it was not explicit enough. Jane Doe did not send him any additional photos, officials said.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Santa Anna Police Department and the Abilene Police Department.