Mobile Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Distributing Child Pornography

MOBILE, AL - Samuel Paul Poulos, age 51, was sentenced today to 7 years in prison after entering a guilty plea to one count of distributing child pornography on March 10, 2026.

According to court documents, during June 2025, law enforcement identified Poulos as an active participant in an online chat room dedicated to the sharing child pornography. Investigators observed Poulos distributing videos depicting sexual abuse of children through the chat room.

On November 13, 2025, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Poulos' residence and seized his cell phone. A forensic examination of the device revealed thousands of images and videos depicting sexual abuse of children. During an interview with investigators, Poulos admitted that he viewed child pornography and stored the files in a hidden folder on his phone.

United States District Judge DuBose sentenced Poulos to 84-month imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release. As conditions of supervision, Poulos must participate in sex offender treatment, substance abuse testing and treatment, and mental health treatment. He also must register as a sex offender and is prohibited from having contact with minors.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Poulos to pay a $100 special assessment and $74,500 in restitution to victims.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources.