Alexander Michael Stephenson, 28, of Stillwater, Payne County, Oklahoma, United States is in the Oklahoma National Guard. He was scheduled to deploy with his unit to Africa on an assignment.

While waiting for the deployment, Stephenson was in Texas, USA for training. Before the deployment, he was arrested.

On September 29, 2022, Stillwater Police Department detective Stephanie Wheeler received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The detective is a member of the Criminal Investigations Unit and a cross-commissioned member of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation‘s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC).

According to the tip, apparent child sexual abuse material was uploaded and shared on the social media app Kik. The material included multiple videos of prepubescent girls.

With features preserving users’ anonymity, Kik allows users to register without providing a valid email address or a telephone number. However, the app logs user Internet Protocol addresses, which could be used to determine the user’s approximate location and internet service provider.

Wheeler launched an investigation alongside the U.S. Army‘s Criminal Investigation Division. Stephenson was determined as the suspect.

On May 11, 2023, an arrest warrant was issued for Stephenson. He was arrested in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas and extradited to Payne County.

On May 18, 2023, Stephenson had an arraignment hearing in Payne County District Court in Stillwater. The Oklahoma National Guardsman was charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.