Saudi Arabian National Living in Tulsa Sentenced for Possessing and Attempting to Receive Child Pornography

TULSA, Okla. - A Saudi Arabian national living in Tulsa was sentenced today for Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country and Attempted Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

U.S. Circuit Judge Gustavo A. Gelpi, Jr., sentenced Mohamad Asaad Alhashem, 31, to 90 months imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Alhashem will also be required to register as a sex offender and ordered to pay $60,500 in restitution.

According to court documents, in October 2023, Alhashem began communicating with an undercover officer on social media, whom he believed was 14 years old. Over several weeks, Alhashem asked the 14-year-old about their sexual experiences and described the sexual acts he wanted to have with the minor. He also sent sexual videos of himself and requested photos from
the minor.

After a search warrant was executed on Alhashem's home, law enforcement found 195 images and 19 videos that contained the sexual abuse of children, infants, and toddlers. Law enforcement further found messages where Alhashem was attempting to purchase child sexual abuse material.

Alhashem will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Pryor Creek Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Michel prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.