WILSON COUNTY MAN SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON ON CHILD EXPLOITATION CHARGES

NASHVILLE –Edward Alan Kuiper, 39, of Watertown, Tennessee, was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison for the attempted production, production, and possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. That term of imprisonment will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

In 2020, the defendant repeatedly victimized two girls under the age of 12. He placed a hidden camera in a bathroom and took videos of both girls using the bathroom. He also took sexually explicit videos of the girls. The defendant kept those videos on his phone, along with over 8,000 images and 1,500 other videos that constituted child pornography.

A federal grand jury indicted the defendant in 2021 on two counts of attempted production of child pornography, four counts of production of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. On November 28, 2022, he pled guilty to all seven counts in the indictment.

“Today’s sentence ensures that the defendant will not pose a risk to children for at least the next three decades,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.  “We are grateful for the excellent work done in this case by our partners at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.”

“The sentencing of this predator validates HSI’s commitment to investigate and prosecute those who sexually exploit the innocence of our children,” said HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “We must remain vigilant as digital technology makes it easier for criminals to engage in this type of deviant behavior. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to target those who prey upon the vulnerability of our children.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Levine prosecuted this case. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

# # # # #