Federal prosecutors have convicted a Gum Spring man that was previously found guilty of child rape of once again targeting minors—this time through a years-long pattern of grooming, travel and exploitation, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Richard Tyson, 57, was found guilty April 22 on four federal counts: production and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and committing a felony offense involving a minor while registered as a sex offender.

Prosecutors outlined a history of abuse that predates the current case. Tyson was convicted in 2002 of raping his 12-year-old piano student and received a 99-year sentence, with 86 years suspended—leaving approximately 13 years to serve. The Commonwealth eventually filed a petition to have Tyson civilly committed as a sexually violent predator, which was upheld by a jury in 2014. Shortly thereafter, a circuit court determined that Tyson was “in need of treatment that could not be provided in a less secure alternative than an involuntary secure inpatient treatment program”, according to Supreme Court of Virginia records. The circuit court then committed Tyson to the custody of the Department of Behavioral Health and Development Services. Prosecutors attempted to argue against his conditional release, citing “numerous instances where he was caught hiding photographs of young girls in his cell” and that he was an undue risk to public safety, however, it was ultimately granted.

Tyson would be charged with targeting minors less than a decade later, with the latest convictions occurring between 2021 and 2023 after reports from a concerned grandparent. Court records identify the victims as “Child 1” and “Child 2” to protect their identities. In an affidavit submitted as evidence during the latest case, a recorded jail phone call captured Tyson saying the following: “I didn’t give them [police] the password for the second S10 Plus or the Motorola but I don’t think either one of them will be that hard to break into and get stuff off of it— and if they can actually take images off of my gallery I am going to be done. So I probably have 100 counts of child porn because I look at stuff that’s underage sometimes— not really bad but like teenagers. It’s stupid to keep that [explicit] but who the [explicit] thought this was going to happen?”

According to additional evidence presented at trial, Tyson met Child 1 in 2021 and cultivated trust with both the child and the child’s family. Authorities said he provided gifts such as clothing and video games, while also paying for activities and eventually arranging for overnight stays at his home.

Investigators said Tyson later encountered Child 2 at a trampoline park while accompanying Child 1. He then communicated with both minors via Snapchat and began taking them on trips to hotels, resorts and amusement parks.

Federal officials said those trips, along with time spent at Tyson’s residence, became settings for further exploitation. According to the DOJ, Tyson engaged in sexual activity with one of the minors and produced sexually explicit images of both children, at times providing money in exchange.

Tyson is scheduled to be sentenced July 29 and faces a mandatory minimum of 35 years in federal prison with the possibility of a life sentence.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, with assistance from the Powhatan County Sheriff’s Office and the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea M. Gibbons and Thomas A. Garnett prosecuted the case, and Tyson remains in custody at the Northern Neck Regional Jail awaiting sentencing.

According to Justice.Gov, the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the DOJ to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), the initiative marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www. justice.gov/psc