Former teacher sentenced for possession of child sexual abuse material

HOUSTON - A 31-year-old former College Station resident has been ordered to federal prison after he shared multiple images on various online platforms containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Daniel Byrd pleaded guilty Nov. 25, 2024.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt has now sentenced Byrd to a total of 60 months in prison. In handing down the sentence, the court stated that the defendant may never have control of his addictive conduct, but the responsibility lies with Byrd himself. He was further ordered to serve 10 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Byrd will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

The investigation began after authorities discovered Byrd shared multiple CSAM images on various online platforms. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Byrd's residence and seized his electronic devices.

Some images depicted sexual contact between prepubescent males, while others showed adult males having sex with prepubescent males.

Byrd admitted to using online platforms Telegram and Kik to view and download CSAM utilizing his smart phone. He also stated he created a Mega account, a cloud-based storage and file hosting service, to save the child pornography. He would then distribute it to others by sending them links.

At the time of his arrest, Byrd was a teacher in the Navasota area.

Previously released on bond, Byrd was taken into custody following the sentencing today where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance from College Station Police Department and the Brazos County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Leo and Jay Hileman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ's PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.