A teacher at a Phoenix elementary school was arrested when federal authorities found him in possession of child pornography following an investigation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Cyber Crimes Center.
Tyler A. Townley, 30, a fifth-grade teacher at Sun Canyon Elementary School in Phoenix, got pinched after authorities searched his home, where they found numerous images and video files of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Authorities tracked down Townley after the federal investigation led ICE agents to Townley's e-mail, IP address, and eventually to his Phoenix home.
"These allegations are especially disturbing given the position of trust the defendant has occupied," says U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke. "We appreciate the ongoing efforts of ICE to use its investigative resources to target predators and all those whose actions
contribute to the sexual exploitation of children."
The investigation that led to Townley's arrest was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to identify, investigate, and arrest child predators, including human traffickers, international sex tourists, Internet pornographers, and foreign-national predators.
If convicted, Townley faces a minimum of five but up to 20 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine.
