Department Of Defense Contractor Sentenced To More Than Eight Years For Receiving Child Sex Abuse Materials Over The Internet

Jacksonville, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Tyler Lee Murrell (27, Hillsboro, Tennessee) to eight years and one month in federal prison for receipt of child sexual abuse images. Murrell was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. Murrell was arrested on July 17, 2023, and ordered detained pending the outcome of proceedings in this case. He entered a guilty plea on December 7, 2023.

According to court documents, in March 2023, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) received information from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) about two CyberTipline Reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. These tips advised that child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) were suspected of being uploaded to a wireless cloud account. The subscriber information of the wireless account indicated the subscriber was Tyler Lee Murrell, with a residence in Jacksonville. Internet Protocol (IP) addresses were provided for the CyberTips and traced to a residence belonging to Murrell. Upon further investigation, JSO learned Murrell was likely a member of the military or a Department of Defense contractor and turned the investigation over to NCIS. 

NCIS learned that Murrell worked for a company at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. NCIS obtained a search warrant for Murrell’s cloud account and located a video depicting CSAM from one of the CyberTips and additional files of CSAM. NCIS executed a search warrant and seized Murrell’s phone on June 28, 2023. A search of the phone resulted in the discovery of numerous files of CSAM, including 43 videos and 38 images of CSAM. There were also numerous discussions related to CSAM. In one, Murrell discussed engaging in sexual activity with a minor female child if he and the female he was chatting with had a child together. In response, the female sent Murrell two CSAM videos. 

During an interview with law enforcement following his arrest, Murrell admitted to purchasing and receiving CSAM. He also admitted to speaking with an adult woman who would send him videos of CSAM.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.