Jalan Christopher Lewis, Child Exploitation, Alabama 2025

A 31-year-old Tuscaloosa man has been handed a 35-year prison sentence for his involvement in the sexual exploitation of children, announced U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona.

Jalan Christopher Lewis was sentenced by United States District Judge R. David Proctor to 35 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Lewis was also ordered to pay a $5,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act.

Lewis pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, transferring obscene materials to minors, production of child pornography, and receipt and distribution of child pornography in October 2025.

According to the plea agreement, in July 2024, an undercover law enforcement officer used a social media application to pose as a 15-year-old female in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Lewis messaged the undercover officer, and after learning her age, proposed engaging in sexual activity. Lewis continued messaging the undercover officer and attempted to meet her for sexual activity.

Upon arrival at the proposed meeting location in August 2024, Lewis was arrested. He had a condom in his sock. Later, in December 2024, law enforcement discovered that Lewis had engaged in sex acts with a 14-year-old victim after he was released on bond following his August 2024 arrest.

Lewis also met this minor victim on a social media application. Records from the social media application revealed that Lewis had produced child pornography depicting the 14-year-old and sent the produced material to the child. Lewis also received child pornography from the 14-year-old. Lewis was arrested for these additional offenses following a search warrant executed at his home in January 2025.

This case was part of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort by FBI field offices across the country, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorneys’ Offices around the country to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators.

Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, also played a role in the case. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

If you suspect or become aware of the possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.

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