An Eielson Air Force Base service member was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison and will serve 15 years on supervised release for paying to receive child pornography.
According to court documents, on Nov. 7, 2023, Kyle Cozens, 32, who was stationed on Eielson Air Force Base, was interviewed by the FBI in a related case from Illinois involving child sexual abuse material.
Cozens allowed agents to review messages on his phone and they observed images of a known victim. Agents obtained a search warrant for Cozens’ phone and discovered he was communicating with individuals on messaging apps and buying images from them. Agents discovered multiple images and videos on his phone, with some visuals depicting prepubescent females.
On March 1, 2024, law enforcement searched Cozens’ residence and seized over 30 electronic devices. To date, law enforcement has identified over 80 videos and over 680 images depicting child sexual abuse on Cozens’ devices.
On Nov. 15, 2024, Cozens pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. In addition to prison time and supervised release, Cozens is required to register as a sex offender upon release from prison as part of his sentence.
“The widespread dissemination of images of children forced to endure sexual abuse is a horrific crime that law enforcement fights every day. Mr. Cozens contributed to the revictimization of those children by paying for visuals of child sexual abuse,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn R. Vogel for the District of Alaska. “My office will continue to protect our most vulnerable by partnering with law enforcement to find and prosecute anyone who targets children for nefarious purposes.”
“The defendant purchased and possessed large amounts of (material), directly contributing to online child exploitation and the re-victimization of young children,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “This sentencing underscores the FBI’s commitment to ensuring child predators are identified and held accountable for their crimes against children.”
“Interagency partnerships, like the ones utilized in this case, are vital to fighting child exploitation,” said Special Agent Tyler Pierson, Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 632. “AFOSI is committed to these partnerships and our mission of protecting the Department of the Air Force from criminal behavior that threatens the mission, equipment and people of the Department.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office, Fairbanks Resident Agency, and U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations investigated the case.
