Aaron Samson Riley, 38, of Madison, Alabama, was sentenced on July 27 to 25 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a minor and possessing child pornography, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee.
U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. also ordered that Riley serve supervised release after his prison term and register as a sex offender. Riley pleaded guilty to both counts of the indictment on April 24 under a binding plea agreement that set the length of imprisonment at 25 years.
“Aaron Riley repeatedly sexually exploited a 15-year-old child and continued his criminal conduct even after law enforcement intervened across multiple states,” said U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek. “This 25-year sentence holds him accountable and protects the public from a defendant who demonstrated that he would not stop on his own. We are grateful to the federal, state, and local law enforcement officers whose persistence brought this child to safety and Riley to justice.”
“Sexual exploitation of children is a heinous crime. This case demonstrates the importance of collaboration among law enforcement partners and the commitment to holding offenders accountable for these serious crimes,” said Homeland Security Investigations Nashville acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Perez.
Court documents show that in April 2023, an Alabama child was reported missing after frequent contact with Riley by phone around the time he ran away from home. In May 2023, U.S. Marshals located both Riley and the child together in Georgia following a tip from a concerned citizen at a library; they returned briefly to Alabama before fleeing again until their arrest by Metropolitan Nashville Police Department officers responding to a burglary call on September 29, where both were found near an unoccupied residence.
Investigators seized electronic devices from Riley’s vehicle, which contained images and videos depicting sexual abuse produced by Riley involving the minor across multiple states including Tennessee.
Riley has remained in custody since his arrest pending sentencing proceedings, where it was also revealed he had previously been convicted of cyberstalking in connection with soliciting explicit images from an underage relative.
Restitution will be determined later; two cellphones and two tablets used during these offenses were ordered forfeited by the court.
Homeland Security Investigations and Metropolitan Nashville Police Department led investigations while Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison prosecuted this case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee enforces federal laws representing United States interests across its jurisdiction—which includes prosecuting criminal cases such as this one—and collaborates with law enforcement agencies throughout its coverage area comprising 32 counties in middle Tennessee, according to its official website.