Rancho Cordova Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

 SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tyler Shayne Nelson, 28, of Rancho Cordova, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to 15 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a child, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in June 2018, following a tip concerning child pornography trading, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Nelson’s home. During an interview, Nelson stated that he had communicated with underage girls using the Snapchat and Kik apps. On May 27, 2021, Nelson pleaded guilty to the charges and admitted that he had contacted a 12-year-old victim and requested and received explicit pictures of her.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.