Columbus Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Child Exploitation Case
Richard Tyler Campbell was sentenced in federal court following a multi-defendant investigation under Project Safe Childhood.
Columbus resident Richard Tyler Campbell, 36, was sentenced Wednesday, Sept. 30, to 25 years in prison on federal child exploitation and sexual abuse material charges sentenced.
According to the office of U.S. Attorney Dominick Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio, Campbell was one of five defendants investigated in a broader child sexual abuse material inquiry initiated through cyber tipline reports investigation. Municipal court records showed that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip in 2024 from MediaLab, the company that operates the messaging service Kik, reporting 13 suspected illicit files uploaded from an internet protocol address in Columbus tipline. Investigators subpoenaed account subscriber information connected to the address, which identified Campbell, and Franklin County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested him at a South Waverly Avenue residence in February 2025 arrest.
Federal court records showed that between December 2024 and February 2025, Campbell solicited the sexual abuse of a minor victim while posing online as both a minor and an adult with access to a child solicitation. Prosecutors said Campbell also distributed child sexual abuse material, including transfers to three other defendants distribution.
Investigators reviewing the material identified co-defendant Christian Toms, who was sentenced in May 2026 to 35 years in federal prison for sexually abusing an 11-year-old non-verbal boy with autism depicted in the images toms-sentence. Federal prosecutors said digital exchanges between Campbell and Toms included specific requests concerning the abuse, and court records documented an in-person meeting at a grocery store where the men exchanged used children's underwear toms-link.
Investigators also determined Campbell possessed 165 files containing child sexual abuse material possession. Campbell pleaded guilty in November 2025 to sexual exploitation of a minor, distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse material, and possession of child sexual abuse material guilty-plea.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative created in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse project-safe-childhood.
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Columbus resident Richard Tyler Campbell, 36, was sentenced Wednesday, Sept. 30, to 25 years in prison on federal child exploitation and sexual abuse material charges sentenced.
According to the office of U.S. Attorney Dominick Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio, Campbell was one of five defendants investigated in a broader child sexual abuse material inquiry initiated through cyber tipline reports investigation. Municipal court records showed that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip in 2024 from MediaLab, the company that operates the messaging service Kik, reporting 13 suspected illicit files uploaded from an internet protocol address in Columbus tipline. Investigators subpoenaed account subscriber information connected to the address, which identified Campbell, and Franklin County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested him at a South Waverly Avenue residence in February 2025 arrest.
Federal court records showed that between December 2024 and February 2025, Campbell solicited the sexual abuse of a minor victim while posing online as both a minor and an adult with access to a child solicitation. Prosecutors said Campbell also distributed child sexual abuse material, including transfers to three other defendants distribution.
Investigators reviewing the material identified co-defendant Christian Toms, who was sentenced in May 2026 to 35 years in federal prison for sexually abusing an 11-year-old non-verbal boy with autism depicted in the images toms-sentence. Federal prosecutors said digital exchanges between Campbell and Toms included specific requests concerning the abuse, and court records documented an in-person meeting at a grocery store where the men exchanged used children's underwear toms-link.
Investigators also determined Campbell possessed 165 files containing child sexual abuse material possession. Campbell pleaded guilty in November 2025 to sexual exploitation of a minor, distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse material, and possession of child sexual abuse material guilty-plea.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative created in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse project-safe-childhood.
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Columbus man sentenced for child sexual abuse
Supporting evidence (1)
Columbus resident Richard Tyler Campbell, 36, was sentenced Wednesday, Sept. 30, to 25 years in prison on federal child exploitation and sexual abuse material charges sentenced.
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Richard Tyler Campbell, 36, was sentenced on Wednesday on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, distribution and receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/columbus-man-sentenced-25-years-191037438.html
Supporting evidence (10)
Attorney Dominick Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio, Campbell was one of five defendants investigated in a broader child sexual abuse material inquiry initiated through cyber tipline reports investigation.
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According to United States Attorney Dominick Gerace II's office for the Southern District of Ohio, Richard Campbell was one of five defendants involved in a child sexual abuse material investigation that began with cyber tipline reports.
Municipal court records showed that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip in 2024 from MediaLab, the company that operates the messaging service Kik, reporting 13 suspected illicit files uploaded from an internet protocol address in Columbus tipline.
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Franklin County Municipal Court records say the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip in 2024 from MediaLab, the company that owns the social messaging app Kik, about 13 suspected child sexual abuse material files uploaded and shared on the app. The files were reportedly uploaded from an IP address in Columbus.
Investigators subpoenaed account subscriber information connected to the address, which identified Campbell, and Franklin County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested him at a South Waverly Avenue residence in February 2025 arrest.
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Authorities issued a subpoena for the account subscriber information for the IP address, which records say came back Campbell. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office arrested Campbell at a residence on South Waverly Avenue in Columbus in February 2025.
Federal court records showed that between December 2024 and February 2025, Campbell solicited the sexual abuse of a minor victim while posing online as both a minor and an adult with access to a child solicitation.
Read supporting passage
According to court documents, between December 2024 and February 2025, Campbell solicited the sexual abuse of a minor victim. He posed online as both an adult with access to a minor and as a minor himself, according to Gerace's office.
Prosecutors said Campbell also distributed child sexual abuse material, including transfers to three other defendants distribution.
Read supporting passage
Campbell also reportedly distributed child sexual abuse material, including to three of the other defendants.
Investigators reviewing the material identified co-defendant Christian Toms, who was sentenced in May 2026 to 35 years in federal prison for sexually abusing an 11-year-old non-verbal boy with autism depicted in the images toms-sentence.
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Forensic review of the child sexual abuse material led investigators to Christian Toms, who was sentenced in May to 35 years in prison for sexually abusing the minor, an 11-year-old non-verbal boy with autism, depicted in the images, according to Gerace's office.
Federal prosecutors said digital exchanges between Campbell and Toms included specific requests concerning the abuse, and court records documented an in-person meeting at a grocery store where the men exchanged used children's underwear toms-link.
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Digital communications between Campbell and Toms revealed that Campbell made specific requests regarding the sexual abuse. Court documents revealed Campbell and Toms met up in person at a Kroger, where they exchanged used children's underwear, the U.S. attorney's office said.
Investigators also determined Campbell possessed 165 files containing child sexual abuse material possession.
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Campbell reportedly possessed 165 files of child sexual abuse material, including that of minors engaged in sex acts.
Campbell pleaded guilty in November 2025 to sexual exploitation of a minor, distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse material, and possession of child sexual abuse material guilty-plea.
Read supporting passage
Campbell pleaded guilty in November 2025 to sexual exploitation of a minor, distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative created in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse project-safe-childhood.
Read supporting passage
The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide effort launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.