A popular Gulf Coast florist faces prison time on federal charges connected to a graphic child porn case that was first uncovered on Snapchat, according to court records and media reports.

Tyler McIlwain was first arrested by Mobile County sheriff’s deputies in February on 10 felony charges related to child porn possession and distribution, according to WKRG-TV.

The 30-year-old Mobile man owns Tyler Matthew Creations, LLC, a floral and event planning business based in the Gulf Coast port city. He began operations full-time in 2019, according to the company’s Facebook page.

The arrest occurred after an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation found sexually explicit material on a Snapchat account connected to McIlwain’s business, Fox 10 Mobile reported. Videos and images of children as young as 3 months old were also recovered on his phone and laptop after his electronics were seized inside his West Mobile home, a Mobile County sheriff’s detective testified at McIlwain’s preliminary hearing.

Detectives testified McIlwain also used the Russian-based Telegram app, where more child porn was found after a warrant was obtained, Fox 10 reported.

McIlwain pleaded not guilty in court and was released from jail on bond as the case was turned over to a grand jury.

The case took a turn in October when McIlwain was arrested and accused of violating a bond condition. He had been living in Michigan for months and was not authorized to do so, according to court records.

Then, earlier this week, a 10-count indictment was handed down from a federal grand jury that outlined more child sex crimes McIlwain is accused of committing, including coercing a minor to perform sexual acts and record them in 2019, according to reporting from Fox 10.


McIlwain, now held in Escambia County, Alabama, faces three counts of receiving and distributing child porn, three counts of distributing child sex abuse material, one count of child porn possession, one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of attempted exploitation of a minor, and one count of attempted enticement, records show.

If convicted of all charges, he faces up to life in prison.




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Popular Gulf Coast florist could face life in prison in shocking child porn case