Diamond Man Sentenced for Child Pornography

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Diamond, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving child pornography.

Larry James Lyle, 70, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 11 years in federal prison without parole. Lyle will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

On Sept. 6, 2019, Lyle pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography. Images and videos of child pornography were found on his laptop computer. Lyle admitted he used the internet to receive child pornography.

According to court documents, Lyle was identified by law enforcement agents during an investigation into the enticement of a 14-year-old victim in Ohio, whom Lyle met through an online game. The victim’s parents located messages, which were sexual in nature, between her and Lyle within the messaging app of the game and within the victim’s emails.

Lyle admitted to investigators that he communicated with underage minor females, and that many of those conversations were sexual in nature. He also admitted that he received nude images of minors.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI and the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force.

Project Safe Childhood
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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."