Alabama Man Used Kik Messenger in Child Exploitation Scheme, FBI Says; Gets 160 Years

A 28-year-old Alabama man has been sentenced to 160 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple child s----- exploitation-related charges, federal prosecutors said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama (USAO) announced on May 11 that Caleb Sean Wheeler was sentenced to 1,920 months in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release.

According to prosecutors, Wheeler produced three videos and one image depicting child s----- abuse material and also transported such material. He pleaded guilty in January to four counts of s----- exploitation of children and one count each of transportation and possession of child s----- abuse material.

“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the innocent children of this district from crimes like those committed by Caleb Wheeler,” Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine Crosby said in a statement. “With the help of our law enforcement partners, Wheeler will spend the rest of his life in federal prison unable to hurt another child.”

David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Birmingham, described the crimes as “heinous.”

“At the FBI, we are committed to doing everything in our power, with a sense of urgency and in collaboration with our partners, to protect innocent children and bring predators to justice,” Fitzgibbons said.

Federal officials said the case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child exploitation and abuse.

Wheeler was arrested on June 18, 2025, after investigators accused him of producing and sharing child s----- abuse material through the Kik Messenger app, according to a complaint filed in Morgan County District Court.

The complaint alleged Wheeler shared an image of a minor displaying their genitalia through the app. Investigators also accused him of producing explicit images involving the child.

According to The Decatur Daily, Wheeler, who is from Hartselle, was booked into the Morgan County Jail on charges including s----- abuse of a child younger than 12, production of child s----- abuse material, possession with intent to disseminate obscene material depicting minors, and dissemination or public display of child s----- abuse material.

WHNT reported that Wheeler’s bond conditions prohibited him from contacting the alleged victim or accessing internet-capable devices. He was also placed under pretrial release supervision with GPS monitoring.