Jeremiah Taylor, Child Pornography, West Virginia 2023

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A former Marshall University football player was sentenced to federal prison for a child pornography offense. Jeremiah Taylor, 32, was sentenced to 90 months in prison for distributing child pornography. Taylor was also ordered to complete 15 years of supervised release after prison, as well as to pay a substantial amount of restitution.

A former college football star who was a Captain on the Marshall University football team, Taylor was idolized by countless kids across the country. However, his actions were a stark contrast to his public image. Child pornography crimes are absolutely egregious and will not be tolerated, said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

Taylor previously admitted that in January 2019, he utilized the mobile messaging application Kik to send several graphic videos of child pornography to an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent. These videos depicted nude prepubescent children engaged in sexual conduct, including sadistic or masochistic conduct. Taylor also admitted that he asked the undercover agent for photos of the agent’s purported 9-year-old daughter naked in sexually-explicit poses. On Kik, Taylor was an active member of a group focused on taboo interests, wherein users frequently shared images and videos of child pornography.

A search warrant later executed on Taylor’s Kik account uncovered additional stored child pornography. Taylor’s Kik username was “58ThatDude58” – 58 is the number Taylor wore while playing football for Marshall University from 2010 to 2013. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted the investigation, and United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin F. Scott handled the prosecution.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

Taylor previously admitted to distributing child pornography, which is a federal crime. He was sentenced to 90 months in prison and will have to complete 15 years of supervised release after prison. The exact amount of restitution Taylor must pay is not specified in the press release. The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-00068.

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