Latest news with #Pulliam
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Decatur man accused of sharing child sex material over social messaging app
DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — A Decatur man is facing 15 felony counts alleging that he traded child pornography last year, while, according to him, he was high on drugs. Court records show that Tyler Pulliam, 34, was arrested earlier this year following a month-long investigation into his activity over the messaging app Kik. He's been charged with the following counts involving child pornography: 9 counts of reproducing or selling child pornography 4 counts of possessing film or photos of child pornography 2 counts of reproducing a moving depiction of child pornography On top of that, Pulliam is also facing a misdemeanor count of possessing a firearm without a FOID card. Machete-, shotgun-wielding man shot by officers in Macon arraigned In a sworn statement filed in the case, Decatur Police Detective Timothy Wisniewski said the investigation started in February when the Illinois Attorney General's Office received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip was eventually passed to Decatur Police because the IP address was registered to a Decatur address. The tip came from Kik, whose administrators observed on Aug. 14 a late-night uploading of 11 files that contained apparent child pornography. The account that made that upload — 'brattybratty7' — also logged into Kik several times on July 30 and July 31 and uploaded two composite images consisting of smaller images, each depicting children under the age of 13 engaged in sex. 'I also observed Kik account brattybratty7 sent a selfie-style photograph of a white male to another Kik user on 7-31-2025…which was sent during the timeframe this account was disseminating files containing child pornography to other Kik users,' Wisniewski said. 'The white male appeared to be Tyler based on my review of the body-worn camera video from the theft report he made in January 2025.' Wisniewski said all of the files uploaded to Kik were sent using the same IP address, which was registered to the Comcast account of a home on Division Street near Main and Water Streets. Taylorville Police arrest 'dangerous felon' after tracking him to their city Detectives served a search warrant for this home on March 28. They seized multiple computers and cell phones, one of which was found in Pulliam's bedroom. The computer's data showed that the email associated with the Kik account uploading child pornography was stored in the Google Chrome browser. Wisniewski said that during a mirandized interview, Pulliam admitted to previously using Kik but couldn't remember his username. Pulliam added that he has multiple email accounts that only he has access to — Wisniewski said one of those email accounts is associated with the Kik account uploading child pornography. 'Tyler discussed having prior strange late-night conversations of sexual nature with other people on Kik,' Wisniewski said. 'Tyler claimed he did not know when these conversations occurred but said they typically occurred when he was using ecstasy or hallucinogenic drugs.' Pulliam added that he is the only user of the computer found in his bedroom. The search of the home also revealed that Pulliam had a silver .25 caliber pistol and ammunition. His mother and aunt, who live in the home with him, denied ownership of the gun and said they rarely go upstairs, which is primarily Pulliam's area of the house. Pulliam does not possess a valid FOID card or a concealed carry license, Wisniewski said. UPDATE: Driver in deadly Mattoon nursing home crash pleads not guilty Pulliam was arrested after the search of his home and was booked into the Macon County Jail. Except for his court hearings, he's been there ever since; he was denied pretrial release by Judge Lindsey Shelton. Waiving his right to a preliminary hearing, Pulliam pleaded not guilty to all 16 of the counts against him. He is due back in court on June 6 for a pretrial hearing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Jacksonville police make arrest in East Arlington beauty store shoplifting case where owner died
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has made an arrest in the December 2024 shoplifting case at an East Arlington beauty store where the owner was killed. David Pulliam Jr., 29, remained in the Duval County jail Thursday morning on $100,000 bond. He was arrested on April 10, according to jail records. He's facing charges of petit theft and resisting while committing theft. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Police said Pulliam stole $289 worth of merchandise from Beauty Max, 11900 Atlantic Blvd., and ran out of the store to a car that was waiting for him. The owner of the store, Ilson Kim, 64, ran after the shoplifter who got into a car that was waiting for him in the parking lot of the Kernan Village shopping center. Kim was runover and died from her injuries. Another woman, Tashina Dobbins, 41, was arrested two weeks later and charged with felony petit theft. She's now wanted after missing her court date Monday. A Duval County judge has issued a warrant for her arrest, according to court records. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Read: Duval teacher concerned she has measles, turned away from being tested: What you should know Read: Palatka pastor arrested, accused of sexual assault against a child Read: Duval County Public Schools employee arrested, accused of abusing student [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Social worker commits to helping children navigate foster care
(NewsNation) —Every year in March, NewsNation's parent company, Nexstar, celebrates Women's History Month by honoring 'Remarkable Women' across the country and recognizing one of them as the 'Nexstar Woman of the Year.' Meet one of the nominees, Shari Pulliam, who has dedicated 35 years to child welfare. It's a chapter she began after the death of a dear friend. Inspired by her friend's remarkable legacy, Pulliam became a social worker to impact the lives of children. Now, Shair inspires her coworkers. 'She means everything to everyone, and she's going to do everything for everyone,' said Pulliam's assistant, Brandy Wagner. 'I hear the kids talk about Shari, and they love hanging out with her, love that she does things for them because it makes them feel loved and appreciated, and that's all they want.' 32 veterans in Rhode Island take part in 'Honor Flight' Nominated by her son Sean, Otis, who was deeply moved by the impact Pulliam's had on their community, shared that when it comes to Texas foster kids, his mom is fully committed. 'You're the glue that holds our family together, and you've never put us on the back burner, even though you have so much going on in your life and your career,' Otis said. 'I just wanted to tell you that we're so grateful for you, and we love you.' 'For Sean to nominate me for something like this is just so amazing and awesome,' Pulliman said. Community holds birthday party for girl who lost all in tornado Art Pulliman, Shari's husband of 37 years, had no clue their son nominated her. He's watched Shari help thousands of children navigate the foster system throughout her decades-long career. He's not supposed she's being recognized for her generous spirit. Art described how his wife's life has always centered around her family and the foster children she serves. 'I'd say she's more than a remarkable woman. She's probably the most wonderful woman in the world. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a better person, a better woman with a bigger heart than Shari Pulliam,' he said. Shari Pulliam acknowledges that working in child welfare has its obstacles, including low pay and little recognition. But she finds strength in offering these children an opportunity to realize their own potential. 'I love my community, and most importantly, I love my kids, the 800 children that we care for every single day that we're responsible to be their family. I love those kids like they're mine,' she said. Pulliam hopes to inspire others to pay it forward. 'If I could leave any legacy in my career, I want it to be that my children would give back, too, because it's always been so important to me,' she said. 'I would much rather give than receive.' Remarkable Women is a nationwide initiative to honor the influence that women have had on public policy, social progress and the quality of life. We are celebrating women from across America who lead, inspire and forge the way for others to succeed. In April, a total of 125 local market finalists were selected, which include 11 local market finalists NewsNation chose from non-Nexstar markets, and they get a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Los Angeles. The Nexstar Charitable Foundation will contribute $25,000 to a nonprofit that the national 'Remarkable Woman of the Year' selects. For more information about 'Remarkable Women,' visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NewsNation celebrates the ‘Remarkable Women' of 2025
(NewsNation) — Every year in March, NewsNation's parent company, Nexstar, celebrates Women's History Month by honoring 'Remarkable Women' across the country and recognizing one of them as the 'Nexstar Woman of the Year.' This is a nationwide initiative to honor the influence that women have had on public policy, social progress and the quality of life. We are celebrating women from across America who lead, inspire and forge the way for others to succeed. In April, a total of 125 local market finalists were selected, which include 11 local market finalists NewsNation chose from non-Nexstar markets, and they get a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Los Angeles. 32 veterans in Rhode Island take part in 'Honor Flight' The Nexstar Charitable Foundation will contribute $25,000 to a nonprofit that the national 'Remarkable Woman of the Year' selects. Meet the women who are changing lives in their community. Shari Pulliam has dedicated 35 years to child welfare, a chapter she began after the death of a dear friend. Inspired by her friend's remarkable legacy, Pulliam became a social worker to impact the lives of children. Nominated by her son, who was deeply moved by the impact Pulliam's had on their community, he shared that when it comes to Texas foster kids, his mom is fully committed. Pulliam hopes to inspire others to pay it forward. Community holds birthday party for girl who lost all in tornado 'If I could leave any legacy in my career, I want it to be that my children would give back, too, because it's always been so important to me,' she said. 'I would much rather give than receive.' For more information about 'Remarkable Women,' visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Upward Transitions nonprofit celebrating a 'Centennial of Hope'
Three identification cards helped save the day for one Oklahoma City family. The father recently dropped by Perriann Pulliam's office to tell her how much the cards meant to him and his two children. Pulliam, chief executive officer of Upward Transitions, said the man and his daughters had become homeless due to domestic violence and their identifying records had been destroyed by an abusive relative. Upward Transitions helped the single dad obtain an identification card which helped him get a job to support his family. Pulliam said the nonprofit helped him obtain identification cards for his children so that they could be enrolled in school. This year, Upward Transitions is celebrating 100 years of serving the community, in what the nonprofit is calling a "Centennial of Hope." Pulliam said the social service agency initially started in 1925 as the Travelers Aid Society, offering help to stranded travelers at the Sante Fe Train Station. More: An all-time high number of passengers flew in and out of OKC in 2024. What to know "We started the social services as part of that, with mostly a volunteer staff during the Depression when people were struggling to make ends meet, so Travelers Aid was always a little bit more than just helping the stranded traveler," she said. "It was helping families who didn't have enough to eat or were struggling to pay their bills, so we've been doing that work for a long time." The organization eventually expanded its services to Union Railroad Station and the downtown Oklahoma City bus station in 1951. In 1973, the agency established an information booth at Will Rogers World Airport. In 1987, Travelers Aid Society began additional services to help individuals experiencing homelessness. The agency's name change came in 2008 to reflect its mission to prevent poverty through community collaboration, emergency relief and empowerment, "therefore inspiring hope with our neighbors experiencing housing instability." Pulliam said the organization has continued to man Travelers Aid booths at the airport, with about 35 loyal senior adult volunteers. She said Upward Transitions provides this service through a contract with the Oklahoma City Airport Trust. The United Way partner agency's primary clients are individuals experiencing homelessness. Pulliam said it has become well known, particularly in the nonprofit community, for serving these individuals by helping purchase and obtain the documents needed to transform their lives for the better. Pulliam said documents like birth certifications and identification cards are crucial for accessing basics like housing and work but some people don't know how to obtain these important records or have the money to do so. "The goal is to get that piece of identification and that could be ordering a birth certificate from another state, marriage license, divorce papers, adoption papers, so they then can get the state ID, bcause, as you can imagine, without a state ID, there's not much business you can conduct in this community or in this world these days," she said. "That's a really important piece to escaping homelessness, is making sure people have identification." Other community organizations like the Homeless Alliance, City Rescue Mission and the Diversion Hub refer individuals to the Upward Transitions office at 1134 W Main where they may receive aid, not just for documentation, but also utility and rent assistance to help avoid eviction. In fiscal year 2024, the nonprofit assisted 4,025 people in 2,802 households including 1,084 children in Oklahoma County. About 70% of these households maintained stable housing with utilities connected for up to one year. During the same time period, the organization's Travelers Aid volunteers at the airport dedicated almost 6,400 hours to assisting 152,790 visitors. The organization's funding comes through government contracts and grants, private foundations, the United Way, fundraisers and individuals donors. Pulliam said if she were going to share one of the agency's challenges it is funding, like many nonprofits. However, she said the rewards for Upward Transitions' staff of 12 are many, and they come by continuing to serve the community and hearing from former clients who often return to share how their lives have been changed. Upward Transitions recently received a commendation from Gov. Kevin Stitt in recognition of the nonprofit's 100 years of service to Oklahomans in the Oklahoma City metro are, "empowering and inspiring hope for individuals experiencing homelessness and those in need." Pulliam said the agency was grateful and honored by the governor's commendation, and the organization has planned several events to commemorate its centennial throughout 2025. The nonprofit's annual American Tourist fundraiser will be held in May at the Skirvin Hotel, with a 1925 theme inspired by the classic "The Great Gatsby." Pulliam said the organization will celebrate with its clients in October by hosting a food truck serving funnel cakes and taquitos outside its office building. Pulliam said another celebration with clients will be a holiday gathering, also at the Upward Transitions office. Several open house events will be held throughout the year One significant centennial development is a campaign to raise $100,000 for an Upward Transitions endowment that was established with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation in 1980. More: OKC's affordable housing plan aims to 'fill the gaps,' reduce homelessness Meanwhile, Pulliam said she thinks the agency's longevity is the result of a series of forward-thinking board of directors who have served over the years. "I also want to give credit to my predecessors because we've had some executive directors and CEOs who've really fought to make this organization relevant," she said. "I personally am super excited that I get to head this organization and get to lead us into the next 100 years." For more information about Upward Transitions and its donation needs list, or to donate to the nonprofit's endowment fund, go to This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Upward Transitions celebrates 'Centennial of Hope'
