RALEIGH, N.C. – Daniel Shane Tyrolf, 35, of Raleigh, has been sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography, following his guilty plea on November 3, 2025. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III imposed 25 years of supervised release and a $5,000 assessment.
The investigation began when Kik social media reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a user had distributed child sexual abuse material on its platform. IP addresses linked the activity to Tyrolf’s residence and his workplace, Tyrolf Automotives, LLC. The Wake County Sheriff’s Office and Knightdale Police Department joined the FBI in the investigation.
Law enforcement executed search warrants on Tyrolf's Kik accounts, discovering nearly 100 files of child sexual abuse material uploaded in private and group chats. Further searches on April 29, 2025, at his residence and workplace led to the seizure of multiple digital devices, which contained hundreds of files, including over 600 images of prepubescent children on a single tablet.
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle emphasized the commitment to protecting children, saying, “We remain focused on protecting children and fighting the evil scourge of child predators. Spiders like this hide in the dark corners of the internet web, but we will stomp them out with no mercy.” Chief Capps of the Knightdale Police Department and Sheriff Willie Rowe also highlighted the importance of inter-agency collaboration in holding exploiters accountable and protecting vulnerable community members.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Knightdale Police Department. Authorities affirmed their dedication to pursuing such cases until those responsible are identified and prosecuted.