Valparaiso Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison

HAMMOND –  On March 5, 2026, Vernon R. Tate II, 39 years old, of Valparaiso, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred. 

Tate was sentenced to 87 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.  Tate was also ordered to pay monetary assessments that support services for victims of human trafficking and child sexual abuse.

According to documents in the case, in October 2023, Tate distributed multiple images containing child sex abuse material to an undercover FBI agent on an encrypted messaging platform.  The images Tate distributed included depictions of infants and prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary D. Heater

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.