Oklahoma Man Sentenced for Child Sexual Abuse Material Offenses Following HSI Tulsa-Led Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force Investigation

TULSA, Okla. — An Owasso man was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Hill for federal child sexual abuse material crimes following an investigation by the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Trafficking Task Force (TACETT), led by HSI Tulsa.

Michael Joseph Moreland, 33, was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release for receipt and distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography in Indian Country. Upon his release, Moreland must register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, from Jun. 2022 and May 2023, Moreland received, distributed and possessed nearly 3,000 images and 50 videos of child sexual abuse on his computer.

The content included photos and videos depicting the abuse of infants and toddlers, bestiality and bondage. Prior to Moreland’s arrest, he was the foremost consumer of child sexual abuse material in Oklahoma, consistently ranking among the top five offenders statewide.

A federal statute for victims of child sexual abuse material allows defendants found guilty of child sexual abuse material trafficking offenses to pay restitution to identified victims. In this case, the court ordered $15,000 in victim restitution.

The completion of this investigation was a result of collaboration between HSI Tulsa, the Edmond Police Department and the Owasso Police Department, all of which are part of the TACETT.

TACETT improves the resources, authorities and jurisdictions of each agency to identify, prevent and prosecute crimes related to child exploitation and human trafficking.

HSI’s victim-centered approach to these investigations has led to the identification or rescue of thousands of victims of child sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and financial fraud.

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 the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity 24/7 by calling the HSI tip line at 877-4-HSI-TIP.

Learn more about HSI’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSI_Dallas.