A man from Salina, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography and ammunition as a convicted felon. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Michael Allen Dean, 40, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill. In addition to the prison term, Dean will serve 15 years of supervised release after leaving custody and must register as a sex offender. He has also been ordered to pay $45,000 in restitution to victims identified in the child sexual abuse material found in his possession.
The case began when a social media application reported an upload of child sexual abuse material to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in May 2023. Investigators traced the activity back to Dean using his IP address and phone number linked with the account. Law enforcement then obtained a search warrant for Dean’s home and cellphone.
During the search, agents found several rounds of ammunition at Dean’s residence. A review of his cellphone revealed over 424 videos and 213 images depicting minor children engaged in sexually explicit acts. Some materials involved children under 12 years old, including content showing toddlers and infants being abused.
Court records show that Dean had previously been convicted in state court for possessing child pornography in 2011. He received a suspended sentence of ten years and served 60 days in jail at that time.
NCMEC is recognized as the nation’s central reporting system for suspected cases of child sexual exploitation. With advancements in technology, images and videos related to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) can be widely circulated online, resulting in ongoing victimization each time they are shared.
According to NCMEC data, its CyberTipline has processed more than 195 million reports involving CSAM nationwide. Its Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed upwards of 425 million images and videos and has helped identify over 30,000 victims.
Dean remains detained pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Multiple agencies assisted with this investigation: Homeland Security Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation; Mayes County Sheriff’s Office; and Cherokee National Marshal Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Wright prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local authorities.
For further information about Project Safe Childhood: https://www.justice.gov/psc
“Clint Johnson said: ‘This sentence demonstrates our commitment to protecting children from predators who use technology to exploit them.'”
