Morgan County Man Sentenced to 160 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Hartselle man has been sentenced for committing child sexual exploitation crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.

U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Caleb Sean Wheeler, 28, to 1920 months in prison followed by a life term of supervised release.  In January, Wheeler pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count each of transportation and possession of child pornography. According to court documents, in June 2025, Wheeler produced three videos and one image of child pornography and transported child pornography. 

“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the innocent children of this district from crimes like those committed by Caleb Wheeler,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine Crosby. “With the help of our law enforcement partners, Wheeler will spend the rest of his life in federal prison unable to hurt another child.”

“The exploitation of children is a heinous crime that demands immediate and vigorous action from law enforcement,” said David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Birmingham. “At the FBI, we are committed to doing everything in our power, with a sense of urgency and in collaboration with our partners, to protect innocent children and bring predators to justice.”

If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case with the assistance of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency/ State Bureau of Investigations, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Huntsville Police Department, and Decatur Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.