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Youth Coach Nathaniel Willard Byrd Sentenced to 121 Months for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material

Nathaniel Willard Byrd, 38, a youth coach from Hudson, North Carolina, was sentenced to 121 months in prison for receiving child sexual abuse material, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office announcement.

4 reports on this incident · first at Aug 20, 2026, 10:23 a.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 31, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ETWritten Sep 10, 2026, 9:12 p.m. ET
Nathaniel Willard Byrd, 38, a youth coach from Hudson, North Carolina, was on August 13, 2026, to 121 months in prison for receiving child sexual abuse material, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina announcement. In addition to the prison term, Byrd will serve 30 years of supervised release, the announcement said. According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, law enforcement determined that an internet user later identified as Byrd was storing child sexual abuse material to a cloud-based account. Some of the material included videos depicting children between two and 12 years old engaged in sex acts, including the torture of an 18-month-old child, the announcement said. On October 30, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Byrd's residence and seized his cellphone. During an interview with investigators, Byrd admitted that he downloaded child sexual abuse material, according to the announcement. A forensic review of the cellphone revealed that the phone contained the BitTorrent app, a peer-to-peer file-sharing application, and that Byrd possessed more than 1,300 files depicting the sexual abuse of children, 278 of which were videos. Some of the material had been downloaded using the BitTorrent app, the announcement said. In December 2025, Byrd pleaded guilty to receiving child sexual abuse material, according to the announcement. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility, the announcement said. U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Boone Police Department, and the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office for their work on this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Spaugh of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.

Earlier reports

  1. Sep 3, 2026, 6:52 a.m. ET

    Youth Coach Sentenced to Prison for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Nathaniel Willard Byrd, 38, a youth coach from Hudson, N.C., was sentenced to 121 months in prison on August 13, 2026, for receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM), according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina. He will also serve 30 years of supervised release.

    According to court documents, law enforcement identified Byrd as an internet user storing CSAM to a cloud-based account. Some videos depicted children between two and 12 years old, including the torture of an 18-month-old child. On October 30, 2024, a search warrant was executed at his residence, and a forensic review of his cellphone revealed more than 1,300 files of CSAM, 278 of which were videos. Byrd admitted to downloading CSAM and pleaded guilty in December 2025.

    U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said, “Of all people who should not be fueling the trade of videos depicting the torture of children, a youth coach should be at the top of the list.” The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative. Byrd is in federal custody and will be transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

  2. Sep 1, 2026, 3:11 p.m. ET

    Youth Coach Sentenced to 121 Months for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Nathaniel Willard Byrd, 38, a youth coach from Hudson, N.C., was sentenced to 121 months in prison and 30 years of supervised release for receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, on August 13, 2026.

    According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, law enforcement determined that an internet user, later identified as Byrd, was storing CSAM to a cloud-based account. Some of the CSAM included videos depicting children between two and 12 years old engaged in sex acts, including the torture of an 18-month-old child. On October 30, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Byrd’s residence and seized his cellphone. During an interview with investigators, Byrd admitted that he downloaded CSAM. A forensic review of the cellphone revealed that the phone contained the BitTorrent app, a peer-to-peer file-sharing application, and that Byrd possessed more than 1,300 files depicting the sexual abuse of children, 278 of which were videos.

    In December 2025, Byrd pleaded guilty to receiving CSAM. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility.

    U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Boone Police Department, and the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Spaugh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

  3. Aug 20, 2026, 10:23 a.m. ETFirst report

    North Carolina Youth Coach Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material

    On August 13, 2026, Nathaniel Willard Byrd, 38, a youth coach from Hudson, North Carolina, was sentenced to 121 months in prison and 30 years of supervised release for receiving child sexual abuse material, according to an official announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina. Byrd pleaded guilty to the charge in December 2025 and remains in federal custody pending designation to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility in this developing case.

    According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, law enforcement identified an internet user storing child sexual abuse material on a cloud account and executed a search warrant at Byrd's residence on October 30, 2024, seizing his cellphone. Byrd admitted to investigators that he downloaded the material. A forensic review of the phone revealed the BitTorrent file-sharing application and more than 1,300 files depicting child sexual abuse, including 278 videos. Court documents note that the files included videos depicting children between two and 12 years old, as well as the torture of an 18-month-old child.

    U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson stated, "Of all people who should not be fueling the trade of videos depicting the torture of children, a youth coach should be at the top of the list." The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Spaugh as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006. Law enforcement support was provided by Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Boone Police Department, and the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office.

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Revision history

  1. Version 33 Sept 2026, 10:52current

    Updated to reflect the official record from the U.S. Attorney's Office, including the sentencing date and details.

  2. Version 21 Sept 2026, 19:22

    Updated to reflect the official record from the U.S. Attorney's Office, including the sentencing date and details.

  3. Version 128 Aug 2026, 18:52

    First published.

  4. Version 120 Aug 2026, 14:23current

    First published.

  5. Version 11 Sept 2026, 19:11current

    First published.

  6. Version 111 Sept 2026, 01:12current

    First published.

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