By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
EL RENO – A Yukon felon has been accused of having more than 400 child pornography images on his electronic devices and engaging in sexual communication with an underage girl.
Tyler Jordan Penney, 22, was charged Feb. 22 in Canadian County District Court with aggravated possession of child pornography and soliciting sexual conduct or communication with minor by use of technology.
The felony charges stem from a recent undercover investigation by the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office.
A search warrant was served Feb. 13 at a home on Willow Run when investigators collected Penney’s electronic storage devices – an iPhone, iPad and desktop computer.
Canadian County prosecutors charged Penney for allegedly possessing “100 or more separate materials depicting child pornography” in violation of state law.
“Over 400 combinations of explicit photographs/videos depicting images of female and male juveniles under the age of 16 of child pornography were located in a folder on Tyler’s devices,” Canadian County Sheriff’s Sgt. David Cates wrote in a probable cause affidavit.
Cates works with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) as a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Penney “has a history of violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act in relation to juveniles” and “refused to answer questions during an interview,” the investigator wrote in his court affidavit.
The defendant was charged with solicitation for “facilitating, encouraging, offering or soliciting sexual conduct or engaging in communication for sexual or prurient interest” with someone he believed to be a 16-year-old female, according to the charging document signed by Assistant District Attorney Walter Mengden.
Aggravated possession of child pornography is punishable by “not more than” life in prison and a maximum $10,000 fine.
If convicted of this crime, Penney will be required to register as a sex offender.
Soliciting sexual conduct or communication with minor by use of technology is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
Penney was booked at 11:51 a.m. Feb. 13 into the Canadian County Jail.
A preliminary hearing conference is set March 31 before Canadian County Special Judge Charles Gass.
NOT HIS FIRST RODEO
Penney was convicted in October 2020 after pleading guilty to the felony offense of using a computer to violate Oklahoma statutes.
That charge was filed Jan. 24, 2019, in Canadian County District Court stemming from a Yukon Police investigation.
On Jan. 12, 2021, District Judge Paul Hesse gave Penney a five-year suspended sentence except for the first 120 days to serve (on consecutive weekends) in the Canadian County Jail.
Penney was ordered to be supervised while on probation and pay a fine and victim’s compensation assessment.
Bench warrants were issued for Penney’s arrest in June 2021 and July 2022 for failure to comply with the judge’s orders.
When Penney was formally charged for his latest alleged crimes, prosecutors filed a petition to revoke the suspended sentence in the earlier felony case.
Meanwhile, the defendant filed an application for court-appointed counsel.
