South MS minister’s abuse of boy ‘awful,’ judge says, refusing maximum sentence. Here’s why
A federal judge sentenced a former South Mississippi minister to 20 years in prison for sexual conduct with a young boy in a bathtub while video chatting with a resident of the United Kingdom.
Tyler Selby’s supporters, including family and church members, lined more than two benches in the courtroom at the sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. Selby served for many years as a worship leader at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Ocean Springs, according to his LinkedIn profile, and was dismissed as minister of music at Robinwood Baptist Church in Harrison County, the church announced, after his arrest in September 2023.
Selby pleaded guilty in November to one count in a two-count indictment: producing visual depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Despite the pleas, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Smith argued for the maximum 30-year sentence, with the lowest sentence possible being 15 years.
The crime, Smith said, was “grotesque.” Smith discounted the many letters that Judge Louis Guirola Jr. said he received in Selby’s support.
“I’m willing to wager that anyone who wrote a letter of support never watched the video,” Smith told the judge. In the video, Selby masturbated and instructed the little boy to wash Selby’s genitals with a bath cloth.
Homeland Security investigates crime
While Selby says he’s sorry for what he did now that he’s going to prison, Smith said that he didn’t appear remorseful in the 20-minute video.
Selby’s attorney, Omodare Jupiter, said that Selby spent most of the video talking with the person on the other end of the chat and did not know it was being recorded. Selby’s crime came to light during an investigation in the U.K. Authorities there notified the U.S. Homeland Security Investigation Cyber Crime Center, which took up the case.
A homeland security agent read a statement from the victim’s mother, who was in the courtroom. She said that she and her children have lived with anxiety and fear since Selby’s arrest. She was notified while at work, her statement said.
“In that moment,” she wrote, “my world collapsed.” As the case was investigated, she and her children “relived the nightmare over and over again,” she said. “ . . . My children have been forced to learn and experience things no child should have to endure.”
Selby, who had little reaction as he sat listening, hesitated several times when he rose to speak to the judge. Selby was shackled and wearing an inmate uniform from the Pearl River County jail. He was jailed after his arrest.
Judge reflects on child pornography cases
“Your honor,” he said, “what I did was wrong. It was a mistake that even standing here now, I can’t believe I made.” He said that he needs professional help and that he had spent a lot of time thinking and praying before the sentencing hearing.
“The facts of what occurred here are awful and disgusting,” Guirola said, adding that he’s unfortunately heard many child pornography cases.
“Quite frankly,” the judge said, “they wear me out. But this case is different.” He said evidence was limited to one incident against one victim. In applying the law rather than having a “visceral” reaction to the crime, he did not see that the maximum sentence was called for.
In addition to the 20-year prison sentence, the judge also sentenced Selby to 20 years on supervised release, fined him $5,000 and ordered him to pay an additional $5,000 assessment. Guirola said that a psychosexual evaluation of Selby warranted the supervised release sentence.
As he looked out over the courtroom, where the victim’s mother also sat with a small group, Guirola noted, “The community has become in many respects a collateral victim in a very unfortunate set of circumstances.”
Clarification: The 14th paragraph has been changed to make it clear that the 20 years of supervised release is in addition to the 20-year prison sentence. March 21, 3 p.m.
This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
