A man from Mounds, Oklahoma, has been sentenced for producing and possessing child pornography in Indian Country, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Dylan Ray Yahola, 33, received a sentence of 200 months in prison from U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson. After his release, Yahola will be under lifetime supervised release and must register as a sex offender. He was also ordered to pay $33,000 in restitution to the victims identified in the material he possessed.
The case began in December 2024 when Yahola’s girlfriend discovered he had been sexting with a 16-year-old he met through social media. She reported the incident to police after an argument between them.
Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and found that Yahola had asked the minor to create and send nude photos and videos of themselves while sending similar images of himself in return. Officers also found more than 30 images and over 800 videos depicting child sexual abuse on his devices, including material involving toddlers.
Yahola is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and will remain in custody until he is transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) operates as the main reporting system for suspected child sexual exploitation nationwide. According to NCMEC, its CyberTipline has received over 195 million reports related to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), while its Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed more than 425 million images and videos, identifying over 30,000 victims.
NCMEC notes that technology allows CSAM content to circulate widely online, leading to repeated revictimization of children each time such material is shared. Families affected by these crimes often experience isolation and distress; NCMEC offers support services by connecting families with local professionals for ongoing assistance and runs a volunteer program linking families who have faced similar crises.
The investigation involved both the FBI and Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christian Harris and Ashley Robert prosecuted the case.
“This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood,” stated officials in the press release about the Department of Justice initiative started in May 2006 that coordinates federal, state, and local resources against online child exploitation crimes: “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 visit Justice.gov/PSC.
