Hillsdale County Man Sentenced To 50 Years In Prison For Sexual Exploitation Of Children

          GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Tye Stiger, 35, from Jonesville, Michigan, was sentenced to 50 years in prison for sexually exploiting four girls between approximately 2007 and 2022.  After being caught, Stiger fled to the Philippines before being arrested and returned to the United States to face criminal prosecution. When Stiger is released from prison, he will spend 10 years on supervised release.          

          “The sexual exploitation of our children will not be tolerated by my office,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “While we can never erase the trauma these young girls experienced at the hands of Mr. Stiger, today’s sentence shows that we are committed to protecting our most vulnerable and holding offenders accountable.”

          In February 2022, after two women reported that Stiger groomed and molested them years earlier, police executed a search warrant at Stiger’s home and seized his cell phones and computers.  Investigators found voluminous child pornography on the electronics.  There was a series of videos from between 2007 and 2009, in which Stiger set up a hidden video camera in a bathroom to record young girls changing their clothes.  There were also nude pictures of young girls that Stiger took in 2022.  After the search, Stiger flew to Asia with no return trip scheduled.  In August 2022, investigators found and arrested Stiger in the Philippines, where he was working at a children’s ministry.

          “I commend the victims in this case for their bravery in coming forward to expose the crimes committed by this now convicted felon,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “HSI will continue to work with our partners across the country and around the world to ensure that justice is served for those who would prey on children in our communities.”

          This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force, federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.

          This case was investigated by the Michigan State Police, U.S. Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.

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