Tulsa child sexual exploitation lands sicko 121 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release

A Tulsa man was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for crimes involving the receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography, including offenses committed in Indian Country, according to U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Joseph Gunther Sampson, 31, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge John D. Russell, along with 15 years of supervised release. Following his imprisonment, Sampson will remain in custody until transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

Upon release, he will be required to register as a sex offender. A hearing to determine restitution for victims is scheduled for a later date.

The case unfolded after the FBI, investigating a separate child pornography matter, uncovered messages between Sampson and another individual discussing the sexual exploitation of minors. In August 2024, Sampson consented to a search of his phone during an FBI interview.

Despite claiming the device was new, agents discovered multiple images of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). Confronted with the evidence, Sampson admitted to viewing child pornography for five years and confessed to receiving and sharing CSAM through a phone application.

A subsequent search of Sampson’s home revealed three additional electronic devices. Forensic analysis showed that between December 2023 and August 2024, Sampson possessed hundreds of images and videos containing CSAM, including multiple videos depicting children under the age of 12.

The investigation received support from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which operates the CyberTipline—a national reporting system for online child exploitation.

Since 1998, the CyberTipline has logged over 195 million reports. Through its Child Victim Identification Program, launched in 2002, NCMEC has reviewed more than 425 million CSAM files and aided in identifying over 30,000 victims.

In this case, NCMEC analysts helped identify both known and unknown victims depicted in the materials seized from Sampson.

The FBI led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler prosecuting the case. This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation.

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