A Shalimar man was found guilty on child pornography charges after a two-day federal trial, officials announced Thursday.
- Jeffrey L. Pybus, 41, of Shalimar, was convicted of receiving and possessing images and videos depicting child pornography, according to U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody of the Northern District Court of Florida.
Authorities said Pybus used file-sharing software to obtain explicit material involving minors between Feb. 18 and May 4, 2022. A search of his home on May 4 uncovered over 23,000 photos and videos with illicit content, according to the report.
Pybus is scheduled to be sentenced March 13 at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola. Based on his convictions, Pybus faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years in federal prison, with a maximum of 20 years.
This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp prosecuted the case.
- The case was part of the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood initiative launched in 2006. It aims to clamp down on the sexual exploitation and abuse of children through partnerships between federal, state and local law enforcement.