LELAND — A three-month investigation has led to an arrest of one man facing multiple charges for allegedly receiving and distributing child pornography.
Tyler Troup is being held under a $500,000 secured bond at the Brunswick County Detention Center after Leland Police Department arrested the 36-year-old last week. He was charged with seven counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
READ MORE: Former Pender teacher allegedly posted nude image of children on social media
Officer Robert Britton began investigating the case in July, according to the police report. LPD received a cyber tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a federal program overseen by the Department of Justice that helps 5,400 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
“The tips that come in are typically vetted by a partnering agency” before LPD takes on the case, spokesperson Jessica Jewell verified.
The investigation indicated a particular offense in the case took place in May.
Troup’s arrest warrants say he “willfully, feloniously” obtained imagery of an 8-to-10-year-old female engaged in sexual activity. The material obtained included nude representation of the minor.
Jewell said the imagery features one minor, though it was shared or uploaded multiple times, warranting the many charges.
“The victim in this particular incident has not been verified, but nothing in the investigation indicates that they are a resident of the Town of Leland or immediate surrounding areas,” she added.
Troup’s case remains under investigation, with more evidence being assessed, Jewell confirmed.
“The agency does expect additional charges,” she said.
Troup does not have a prior criminal record in North Carolina.
Second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor is a Class E felony, which carries a sentence of 15 to 63 months in prison if found guilty.
This is the second child pornography case tipped off by the Crimes Against Children Task Force in the past month. On Sept. 29, the department arrested Parker Brown, a former Pender County Schools teacher, and charged him with six counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of third-degree exploitation.
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