Date: 04-26-2018

Case Style:

Case Number: 2:17-cr-20266-SHL

Judge: SHL

Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee (Shelby County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Kasey Wetland

Defendant's Attorney: Unam Peter Oh

Description: Memphis, TN - Thayer, Missouri Man Sentenced to 210 Months Imprisonment for Distribution of Child Pornography

Charles Oliver, 36, of Thayer, Missouri was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for distribution of child pornography.

In April 2017, an online undercover agent with the Memphis Crimes Against Children Task Force received a tip pertaining to "arkman27," the online identity of an individual who expressed a desire through social media to have sex with a child. Arkman27 was provided with contact information for the undercover agent, who was posing as an individual who could provide arkman27 with access to a minor female.

Thereafter, the undercover agent was contacted through the instant messaging application Kik by user "arkdad." Arkdad expressed to the undercover agent an interest in meeting a minor for sex and stated he had previous sexual contact with minors. Between April 7 and July 16, 2017, "arkdad" sent sexually explicit images and videos of prepubescent minors to the undercover agent via Kik, including an image of an infant female being penetrated by an adult male as well as several sexually explicit images of prepubescent minors engaged in oral sex, masturbation and sexual intercourse. "Arkdad" engaged in numerous graphic discussions with the undercover agent about meeting to have sex with the minor, whom he believed to be the undercover agent’s daughter. The undercover agent received these images, videos, and chats in Memphis, TN.

Further investigation revealed the defendant was the user of these online identities and that he had been the individual corresponding with the undercover agent via Kik. Oliver admitted trading images and videos of child pornography through Kik and other social media sites.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "With new and ever-changing technology, online predators are using more creative and disturbing ways to commit cyber-crimes against vulnerable victims, including the sexual solicitation of minors, and possession and distribution of child pornography. This office will always aggressively prosecute these disturbing cases, and will seek significant sentences for such predatory behavior in order to incapacitate dangerous offenders and protect child victims."

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources .

This case was investigated by the FBI and Thayer, Missouri police department.

Outcome: Charles Oliver, 36, of Thayer, Missouri was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for distribution of child pornography.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: