Sean P. Costello U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
Michael Jerome Elder, a 50-year-old resident of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced to 15 years in prison following his guilty plea to the charge of distributing child pornography. The plea was entered on January 16, 2025.
The investigation leading to Elder's arrest was conducted by a deputy from the Mobile County Sheriff's Office. Using law enforcement software, the deputy identified individuals in Southern Alabama with a sexual interest in children by tracking file-sharing networks distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The deputy traced an IP address involved in sharing CSAM files back to Elder's residence. A search warrant led to the discovery of a hidden cell phone containing CSAM at Elder's home.
Elder had prior convictions for possessing obscene material involving minors under Alabama Code 13-A-012-0192(B) and had been released from custody less than a year before this investigation.
At sentencing, Judge DuBose ordered Elder to serve a 180-month prison term followed by 15 years of supervised release. During incarceration, Elder will undergo sex offender treatment, substance abuse testing and treatment, and mental health treatment. Upon release, he must register as a sex offender and is prohibited from contacting minors. Additionally, he was fined $5,100 in special assessments.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kacey Chappelear and Tandice Blackwood prosecuted on behalf of the United States.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, initiated by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. It coordinates federal, state, and local efforts to prosecute offenders and rescue victims. More information can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc or https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources for Internet safety education.
