An Idaho man received a seven-year prison sentence for possessing child pornography. The investigation was launched under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation led by the Department of Justice.

Cyle Anthony Wyckoff, 35, came to the attention of authorities after a detective with the Coeur d'Alene Police Department developed information that a computer registered to Wyckoff contained child pornography on an Internet based file sharing network. The detective connected to the file sharing network and observed that Wyckoff's computer was making child pornography files available to others. The detective obtained a copy of the files and confirmed the images were child pornography.

On July 1, 2009, members of the North Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force served a search warrant at Wyckoff's residence where agents seized computer equipment, CDs and DVDs. These devices were sent to the Intermountain West RCFL (IWRCFL) for examination. The IWRCFL opened in 2005 and is a member of the FBI's national RCFL Program. The laboratory earned international accreditation from the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board in 2008 — the first laboratory in the program to achieve this milestone.

According to press reports, IWRCFL Examiners located 49 still-images and 65 video files depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct or being sexually abused by adult men. The images and videos recovered from Wyckoff's computer and discs were then sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) where analysts confirmed that some images of children contained on Wyckoff's computer and discs were known to them.

As part of his sentence, Wyckoff will serve 10 years of supervised release following his prison term and pay $3,000 in restitution to one of the victims.

To report someone suspected of having child pornography in his/her possession, contact your local police department, FBI office, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's tip line, 1-800-THE-LOST.

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