Tyler Ball of Wynne, Arkansas, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and was handed down by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
Ball pleaded guilty on August 22, 2025, to one count of possession of child pornography. In addition to the prison term, he will serve five years of supervised release. Federal sentences do not allow for parole.
The investigation began after the Arkansas State Police discovered that Ball had taken sexually explicit photographs of a 10-year-old victim around 2015. Seven years later, on January 27, 2022, Ball contacted the victim via Snapchat and apologized for his actions when the victim was 10 years old. In his message, Ball wrote: “I’m really sorry. I’m balling my eyes out. You mean so much to me and I’m very, very sorry.” After receiving these messages, the victim and their mother reported the incident to law enforcement.
Ball was interviewed by police on February 1, 2022. He told officers that he did not remember sending the Snapchat messages because he had consumed alcohol and “blacked out.” Officers obtained a search warrant for Ball’s residence and found a cell phone in a safe. A search of the device revealed 14 images depicting sexually explicit conduct involving the victim.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordination among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Arkansas State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
