A Pascagoula resident has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for distributing images involving minors engaged in explicit activities. Court documents reveal that Tyrone Lewis, aged 20, had inappropriate contact with a 14-year-old in Jackson County, Mississippi. He recorded some of these acts on his cell phone and sent videos of the activity to the victim.
Further investigation uncovered text messages on the victim's phone indicating Lewis was aware of the victim's minor status. In July 2024, Lewis pled guilty to distributing such images.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon from the Southern District of Mississippi and Eric DeLaune, Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations. The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Smith prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. This initiative aims to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse, a project launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006. It combines resources from various federal, state, and local agencies to apprehend those exploiting children online and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.