Former Gibson County Resident Indicted on Federal Child Exploitation Offenses

Jackson, TN – A federal grand jury in Jackson, Tennessee recently returned an indictment charging Philip Stephen Plyler, 41, of Fairmont, West Virginia with federal child exploitation offenses.  United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the return of the indictment today.

Plyler is charged in a two-count indictment with transporting a minor in interstate commerce with intent that the minor engage in illegal sexual activity and with traveling in interstate commerce with the motivating purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with the minor. 

If convicted of both charges, Plyler is facing a sentence of up to life in prison.  This case is pending before United States District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson in Jackson, Tennessee.  If Plyler is convicted of the charged offenses, Judge Anderson will determine the sentence to impose on the defendant after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is being investigated by the FBI Memphis Child Exploitation Task Force and the Milan, Tennessee Police Department.  Anyone with additional information on this case is asked to contact FBI Task Force Officer Dennis Mitchell.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.

Assistant United States Attorneys Josh Morrow and Christie Hopper are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

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For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.