A 26-year-old Michigan woman has just been sentenced to 30 years in prison for her role in the sexual abuse and exploitation of an infant, and at least one other child.
Rheanna Rose Salyer from Taylor, Michigan was sentenced in federal court on May 9 for sexually abusing an infant and another child in addition to distributing child porn online.
In April, Slayer shared communications online with an undercover officer who pretended to have an interest in performing sexual acts on a baby.
A Michigan woman has been sentenced to 30 yrs in prison for distributing CSAM & sexually abusing a fucking infant!
She took pics of herself sexually abusing the infant & sent them to undercover officers.
Hope karma finds you, Rheanna Rose Salyer.🥰 pic.twitter.com/DZrDEqwRxM
— dara faye (@darafaye) May 10, 2023
During their conversation, Sayler not only sent images of her sexually abusing the infant, but bragged about doing so. She also expressed her intention to engage in sex acts with both the undercover officer and the baby.
According to The Detroit News, “Investigators said Salyer admitted to creating images that sexually exploit an infant. She also sent an image of herself having inappropriate sexual contact with an infant to another person over the internet in February 2022.”
After Salyer’s identity was confirmed by authorities, they located her home, executed a search warrant and a detailed search of the property ensued.
More images of what investigators referred to as “horrific child sex abuse” were located which included at least one image that had been created just a few hours before authorities entered Salyer’s home.
“I am thankful for the FBI agents who acted so quickly to save this infant from continued abuse,” stated U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “This defendant not only abused an infant in an unimaginable manner, but she also shared that abuse with others over the internet. This sentence demonstrates that those who harm our most vulnerable will be held responsible.”
Salyer went before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Stafford for her first appearance on February 25, 2022. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne. Sayler received her 30-year sentence from United States District Judge David M. Lawson.
The special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Field Office, James A. Tarasca, said of the arrest, “Rheanna Salyer admitted to sexually exploiting an infant. I can think of nothing more appalling, and today’s sentencing sends an unequivocal message that predatory acts by criminals like her will not be tolerated.”
After a forensics analysis was done on Salyer’s phone, agents working the case found multiple conversations with people online, in addition to her interactions with the undercover officer. The conversations included other images of minors being sexually abused.
Some of these child pornography images were shared with Sayler in direct messages, whereas others she had downloaded off the Internet herself.
Tarasca thanked authorities working on the case saying, “I commend the work of the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force in this investigation. Their quick and decisive action ensured Salyer will be unable to victimize children for years to come.”
United States of America v. Salyer can be read in full here.
