A man from Burnsville, North Carolina, has been sentenced to 188 months in prison for distributing child pornography. Nicholas Tyler Banks, 24, was found guilty of administering an online chatroom dedicated to the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The announcement was made by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Banks will also face a lifetime of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. He has been ordered to pay $26,000 in restitution. Chief Daniel Duckworth of the Boone Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
The investigation began in September 2023 when a detective from the Boone Police Department conducted an undercover operation into online child exploitation. It was discovered that Banks used a chat application to share images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. These files were accessible to all users within the chatroom for viewing and distribution. The content included prepubescent children engaged in explicit acts with adults and some videos showed sadomasochistic behavior. As the chat group’s administrator, Banks managed new member additions.
In January 2024, authorities executed a search warrant at Banks’s residence, seizing several electronic devices. A forensic examination revealed over 47,700 CSAM images when considering video content. Even after this search, Banks continued collecting and sharing additional CSAM.
Previously convicted of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor in Sullivan County, Tennessee, Banks was already a registered sex offender before his latest conviction.
On January 27, 2025, he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography with a prior qualifying conviction. Currently held in federal custody, he will be transferred to a federal facility once designated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the Boone Police Department for their investigative efforts in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Alexis Solheim prosecuted on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse online.
