A Bryant man has been sentenced to 360 months (30 years) in federal prison after being convicted of producing child pornography and participating in an online child exploitation network.
According to Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Tyler Dane Wooten, 36, of Bryant, received the sentence from United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.
In addition to the prison sentence, Wooten was ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and must pay $81,000 in restitution to victims. Federal officials say there is no parole in the federal prison system.
Federal Charges and Investigation
On October 9, 2024, Wooten was indicted by a federal grand jury in a 12-count superseding indictment that included:
6 counts of distribution of child pornography
1 count of production of child pornography
2 counts of distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography
2 counts of receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography
1 count of possession of child pornography
Investigators say the case began in April 2024 when an FBI Online Covert Employee (OCE) began communicating with a user on an online platform using the display name “Bad Daddy.”
Authorities later identified the account as belonging to Wooten.
According to federal investigators, Wooten and other members of an online group shared illegal images and videos involving the sexual exploitation of children between April and June 2024.
Evidence Discovered
During the investigation, federal agents discovered conversations in which Wooten discussed possessing large amounts of illegal material and attempting to obtain additional content.
Investigators also found messages indicating that Wooten communicated with another user who was sexually abusing a child while recording the abuse at Wooten’s direction.
When law enforcement officers arrested Wooten on July 30, 2024, authorities say they discovered 3,945 illegal videos on his electronic devices.
Project Safe Childhood
The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2006 to combat the growing problem of online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The program works to:
Identify and rescue victims
Locate offenders using the internet to exploit children
Prosecute individuals involved in child exploitation crimes
Federal officials encourage parents to monitor children’s online activity and internet usage.
Investigation and Prosecution
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
