Alabama man Phillip Tyler Stanley accused of sharing child sexual abuse material on Discord faces 15 felony charges

A 37-year-old Alabama man is facing 15 felony charges after allegedly using Discord to possess, discuss and distribute CSAM, police said.

Phillip Tyler Stanley, 37, of Dothan, was arrested at his home Friday, according to police.

The arrest followed an investigation that began with a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, according to authorities.

That tip arrived in June and indicated illegal material involving children had been shared through Discord, police said.

Investigators subsequently served search warrants on multiple online platforms and applications, according to police.

Detectives said those search warrants allowed them to trace the target account back to Stanley.

The shared material was not an isolated upload, according to police. Investigators allege the Dothan man participated in multiple chats discussing CSAM, authorities said.

Stanley also allegedly sent images depicting children who appeared to be between 10 and 15 years old to other users, investigators said.

He also allegedly told people in those chats that he was interested in girls younger than 10, police said.

Activity associated with the username was traced across multiple locations, including hotels and workplaces, investigators said.

That digital activity was also traced back to Stanley’s residence, according to police.

Stanley has been charged with 12 counts of possession of CSAM and three counts of dissemination, records show.

The investigation remains open as detectives examine electronic devices and additional online accounts, police said. Authorities noted that further charges are possible as the review continues.

Stanley is currently being held without bond in the Houston County Jail, authorities said.