Omaha Man Sentenced to 126 Months for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography

United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Byron G. Morales, 57, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 18, 2026, in federal court in Omaha for receipt and distribution of child pornography. Chief District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Morales to 126 months' imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Morales's release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.

On October 20, 2020, Facebook, Inc., sent four files to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC') in a CyberTipline Report, which were subsequently passed along to law enforcement to investigate.

On July 7, 2023, two FBI agents interviewed Morales at his place of employment. Morales admitted to receiving and possessing child pornography. He also provided the agents with his black Samsung Galaxy cell phone. Specifically, Morales admitted to viewing child pornography beginning in 2018 through spring of 2023. Morales stated he would typically receive the child pornography through Facebook and WhatsApp chat groups. During the review of Morales's phone, FBI agents located multiple photographs and videos depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Between December 7, 2018, and July 7, 2023, Morales knowingly received, by computer, visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Between December 7, 2018, and July 7, 2023, Morales knowingly possessed visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

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 United States Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation.