June 3, 2021 – Miami, Florida – A Plantation man convicted of possessing over 5,000 electronic images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children was sentenced today (June 2) to 121 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II, who sits in Ft. Lauderdale.

Tyler Washington, 26, used a social networking application to communicate with others who shared his interest in child pornography. Washington provided access to his collection of child sexual abuse material to users who agreed to send him videos of themselves masturbating to Washington’s collection. During one chat session that involved masturbating to a child sex abuse video, Washington claimed that the activity was “sexual nirvana” for him. On March 25, 2021, Washington pled guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material.

Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced the sentence.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Fort Lauderdale investigated the case with assistance from the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Plantation Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, all of which are members of the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ajay Alexander prosecuted the case. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 21-cr-60068.

Source: DOJ Release