U.S. Marshals Arrest Child Pornographer Who Faked His Death to Avoid Punishment for Exploiting His Own Daughter, After Standoff

Steven Yurick was arrested by the United States Marshals Mid South Fugitive Task Force today after a brief standoff. When U.S. Marshals Mid South Fugitive Task Force officers, Tennessee Highway Patrol Officers, and Chester County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived at Yurick mother’s house on Main Street in Bethel Springs, TN they found Yurick hiding in an attic with a knife. Eventually the officers were able to arrest Yurick without further incident. Yurick’s mother, Judy Lyles, was also taken into federal custody at the scene of the arrest and charged with harboring a fugitive with additional charges pending. Firearms were also found at the residence.

Yurick was indicted by a federal Grand Jury in August 2002 and charged with Unlawful Possession of Child Pornography after photos taken by Yurick were brought to the attention of law enforcement officers. At trial, Yurick attempted to convince a jury that he was a photographer trying to help his daughter break into the modeling industry and the nude and nearly nude photos were art not pornography. The jury didn’t agree and found Yurick guilty. Yurick was sentenced to 140 months in prison for this exploitive crime. Yurick was allowed to remain on bond and ordered to self surrender to a Federal Prison on 4/30/2004. Instead of surrendering, Yurick developed a plan to avoid the consequences for his crime.

On April 29, 2004 Hardin County Sheriff’s Deputies found a vehicle registered to Yurick’s family member on a bridge on Highway 64 in Savannah, TN. Investigators were told that Yurick was depressed and had borrowed the vehicle. Fire and Rescue members dragged the murky waters of the Tennessee River, but there was no sign of Yurick. Deputy U.S. Marshals were not fooled by the staged scene orchestrated by a desperate child predator on Highway 64.

On May 4, 2004 a warrant was issued for Yurick charging him with Failure to Appear. Deputy U.S. Marshals intensively investigated Yurick’s whereabouts and refused to let this child predator and his crimes fade into the murky waters of the Tennessee River.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at www.usmarshals.gov. The Mid South Fugitive Task Force consists of Shelby County Sheriff’s Officers and Memphis Police Officers as well as Deputy U.S. Marshals.