Ypsilanti man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for distributing child sexually abusive material

DETROIT - James Andrew Tallon, 42, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography.

U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

From at least September 2023, until his arrest in February 2025, Tallon distributed thousands of images and videos containing child sexually abusive material to other subjects, including material that depicted infants and toddlers. The FBI's investigation eventually showed that Tallon distributed child pornography to other subjects on every continent except for Antarctica.

Receipt and distribution of child pornography each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for first time offenders.

"If you sexually exploit children, expect to lose your freedom. This predator will spend the next 10 years in federal prison paying the price for his horrific crimes," said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. "This defendant distributed thousands of horrific images and videos depicting the abuse of infants and toddlers, perpetuating unimaginable harm to innocent children around the world. I am grateful for the relentless work of our Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force, whose dedication stopped this offender and protected children from further victimization. The FBI will continue using every available resource to identify, investigate, and bring to justice anyone who exploits our children."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Zurek and Sean King