JACKSON (TN)
WBBJ 7 [Jackson, TN]
April 1, 2025
By Emily Goodwin
A former West Tennessee educator and youth pastor has pleaded guilty to federal child sex charges.
Philip Stephen Plyler has been sentenced to one count of federal child exploitation. Plyler was a former educator with Humboldt, Gibson, Milan and Madison County school districts. He was also a former youth minister.
In a document filed Monday by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Philip Stephen Plyler pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
In May of 2024, he was charged in a two-count indictment. The additional charge was dismissed.
SEE ALSO: Former educator indicted on federal child exploitation offenses
The former Gibson County resident is a 41-year-old from Fairmont, West Virginia. He was arrested in West Virginia in April of 2024 but then extradited to the Milan Police Department.
A federal grand jury in Jackson indicted Plyler on federal child exploitation offenses in May of 2024.
There is no word of how many underage victims there are. Child sex crimes are treated very seriously and can lead to severe penalties, including long prison sentences, because they involve harming vulnerable children. The federal government gets involved when the crime crosses state lines.
Plyler will be serving more than 20 years in federal prison. Upon his release, he will serve 5 years of supervised probation.
In addition he must provide a sample of DNA and register as a sex offender. Plyler is placed in the custody of the US Marshals Service and will be transported to federal prison as close to West Virginia as possible.
The FBI urges you to report child exploitation. Contact the FBI online: at tips.fbi.gov
You can also contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s cyber tipline at: report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-THE-LOST. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
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