Evansville Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Minors

EVANSVILLE- Samuel Kirkwood, 36, of Evansville, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after pleading guilty to production and attempted production of child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material. 

According to court documents, Samuel Kirkwood was arrested on May 11, 2023, in connection with a state-level child exploitation offense. At the time of his arrest, Kirkwood was found in possession of two cell phones. Investigators obtained search warrants for both devices and conducted forensic data extractions, which revealed multiple images depicting nude minors in sexually explicit poses.

Photo analysis identified Kirkwood’s hand in one of the images that depicted the sexual abuse of a minor female proving that Kirkwood produced the image himself. In addition to the image he produced, more child sexual abuse files were found on Kirkwood’s cell phones. At the time of sentencing, Kirkwood admitted that he photographed a 10-year-old minor female at a time when he was caring for the child.

“The exploitation of children is among the most heinous crimes we prosecute,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “This case reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting vulnerable victims and holding offenders fully accountable. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure children are always protected.”

“By targeting the most vulnerable, the defendant caused lasting harm, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his offenses,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will never relent in pursuing those who prey on children, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to safeguard those who cannot protect themselves.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young.   

U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger, who prosecuted this case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.

If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood

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