FREDERICKSBURG, VA — A 22-year-old Spotsylvania County man faces 20 felony charges following an investigation that began with a cybertip involving an online account allegedly used to store and possibly share child sexual abuse material, according to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office.
David Wesley Tyler was arrested Friday after investigators executed search warrants and reviewed records returned by Dropbox, the sheriff's office said. Tyler was charged with 10 counts of possession of obscene material depicting a minor and 10 counts of reproducing, transmitting or selling child pornography.
The investigation began July 5, when the sheriff's office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, according to police. The tip concerned an online account that authorities said was allegedly used to upload and store child sexual abuse material, with possible sharing of the material.
Online court records reviewed by Patch show 20 separate felony cases were filed against Tyler in Spotsylvania County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court on Monday. The records list a Fredericksburg mailing address in the 22407 ZIP code and show Tyler remained in custody as of Monday.
The first 10 cases correspond to possession charges. The first possession case is listed as a Class 6 felony, while the other nine possession cases are listed as Class 5 felonies in the Virginia Judiciary's online system.
The remaining 10 cases are identified in court records as felony charges of reproducing child pornography. All 20 court records list July 5 as the offense date and Sept. 25 as the arrest date.
At least several of the possession cases list a preliminary hearing for Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. The court records reviewed Monday did not show a disposition or plea in any of the cases.
The sheriff's office said its Internet Crimes Against Children Unit is part of the NOVA-DC Internet Crimes Against Children Virginia State Police Task Force. The national ICAC network helps law enforcement and prosecutors investigate online child exploitation and related crimes.
Also See ..
Authorities also work with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which assists families, victims, law enforcement and private companies in efforts to combat child exploitation and locate missing children.
Anyone who believes a child is being abused can contact the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office at 540-582-5822 or 1-800-928-5822. Reports also can be made to the Spotsylvania County Department of Social Services at 540-507-7898, the Virginia Child Protective Services hotline at 804-786-8536 or 800-552-7096 from outside Virginia, or NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST.
Tyler is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Fredericksburg Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.