TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Michael Joseph Moreland, 33, for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Judge Hill ordered Moreland to serve 121 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Moreland will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, between Jun. 2022 and May 2023, Moreland knowingly received, distributed, and possessed at least 2,947 images and 50 videos of child pornography on his computer. These included images and videos depicting infant/toddler abuse, bestiality, and bondage of minor child victims. In the days leading up to Moreland’s arrest, he was frequently in the top five and often the number one downloader of child pornography in Oklahoma.
A federal statute for victims of child pornography allows defendants found guilty of child pornography trafficking offenses to pay restitution to known victims. The court in this case ordered $15,000 in victim restitution.
Moreland will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Homeland Security Investigations, Edmond Police Department, and Owasso Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang prosecuted the case.
