Daniel Skipworth

A Tyler man has pleaded guilty to federal child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston announced Monday.

Daniel Dylan Skipworth, 20, on Monday pleaded guilty to transporting a minor to engage in sexual activity.

According to information presented in court, Skipworth admitted that in April 2021, he transported a 13-year-old he met online from Alabama to his home in Tyler to commit the offense of sexual abuse of a minor.

Skipworth was arrested April 17, 2021 at his residence in the 3600 block of Woods Boulevard in Tyler after officers found the child using an FBI tip. The girl was found safe and taken home.

According to an arrest affidavit, the girl’s family reported her missing April 15 to their local police department. By tracking her phone, officers determined the girl left her residence around 5:30 a.m. April 15 and her phone was traveling with another phone number that was later determined to be Skipworth’s.

Later the same day, the girl’s phone stopped transmitting data. Through tracking, the FBI determined Skipworth’s number left his residence on the evening of April 14 and arrived near the girl’s residence at 5:30 a.m. April 15, the affidavit stated.

The FBI then tracked Skipworth’s number to Tyler near his residence before 4 a.m. April 16, according to the affidavit. The information leading to the Woods Boulevard residence was relayed to the FBI Tyler office.

When police officers and FBI agents came to the home, Skipworth’s father said his son traveled to Alabama and back within the last week, and he was adamant that a 13-year-old girl was not inside his home. The father identified the phone number they tracked to Tyler as his son’s, the affidavit stated.

When Skipworth came out of his room, he was uncooperative and upset his family let investigators in their home. Tyler police spokesman Andy Erbaugh said Skipworth tried to bite an officer, but no one was injured.

The affidavit stated Skipworth said the girl, who came out of the room “visibly shaken,” was inside his bedroom.

During an interview with police, she said she met Skipworth online and they agreed to meet in person. While she was willing to go with Skipworth at first, about 30 minutes after leaving her residence, she wanted to go back home. He refused and he also told her to dispose of her phone to avoid tracking, the affidavit stated.

The girl claimed Skipworth attempted to touch her inappropriately during the car ride, but she stopped him. Once at Skipworth’s residence, she made several requests to go back to Alabama, but Skipworth denied the requests. She said Skipworth held her down and prevented her from notifying her parents, the affidavit read.

On April 18, the girl accused Skipworth of several acts of aggravated sexual assault and indecency with a child while she was in his Tyler residence bedroom, according to the affidavit.

Skipworth told police he knew the girl for a week through Instagram and Discord. He admitted to lying down with the girl to rest in the vehicle, but he denied any inappropriate interaction, the document stated.

Skipworth acknowledged he kept the girl in his room. He said the girl told him she was homesick several times, and he made promises to take her home, the affidavit read.

Skipworth’s conviction is the result of a cooperative effort involving the FBI, Tyler Police Department, and the Smith County District Attorney’s Office, who undertook the investigation after analyzing GPS data associated with the phone of a child who had been reported missing by her foster parents in Alabama.

“Children in our community are safer today than yesterday,” Featherston said in a news release. “Parents must be aware that dangerous predators lurk behind computer screens in our homes. Like protecting our children who play at the park, we too must take precaution to protect our most vulnerable population in the cyber-world. Law enforcement places protecting children at our highest priority. To those who harm children, we will find you, arrest you, prosecute you and, seek the harshest punishment for you.”

FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno said officials will do everything they can to protect children from crimes like this.

“No child should ever have to go through this, and we will do all that we can to ensure that vulnerable members of our community are protected from those who seek to do them harm,” DeSarno said. “The defendant will be held accountable for his egregious actions, and we will remain committed to investigating anyone who exploits children.”

Smith County District Attorney Jacob Putman said the district attorney’s office is grateful for the cooperation of federal and local law enforcement “to protect society and this child victim, while ensuring that the defendant is held accountable as a convicted sex offender.”

Skipworth faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. In addition, Skipworth will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.