John_M._Pyle
John M. Pyle
Ultramarathoner and former fugitive (born 1956)
John Michael Pyle (born November 23, 1956) is an American fugitive from justice for possession of child pornography, former businessman, and noted ultramarathoner.
Born on November 23, 1956, John Michael Pyle[1] dropped out of Manatee High School to pursue a career in carpentry. By his 20s, Pyle was an alcoholic; in 1980 or 1981, he married a woman named Toni, and he entered alcohol rehabilitation on February 28, 1987. The Pyles opened businesses in the construction and clothing industries,[2] but became bankrupt in the business cycle of the 2000s.[3]
Under the tutelage of Ray Zahab,[2] in 2012 Pyle spent 80 straight days running 3,273 miles (5,267 km) from San Francisco to Key West. He was raising funds and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project, carrying a 3-by-5-foot (0.91 by 1.52 m) flag of the United States the whole way. Pyle was interviewed by local news outlets along his run, and was recognized at a Houston Astros game when he ran through that Texas city.[4]
In the late 20th century, Pyle was arrested for driving under the influence, possession of marijuana, and check kiting.[5]
Child pornography
At approximately 6:45 a.m. on June 24, 2016, the Sarasota Police Department searched Pyle's Sarasota, Florida condominium based on three tips received from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. They found 48 images of child pornography, including 15 depicting child sexual abuse and two with bondage; girls as young as seven and one year old were pictured. Due to the quantity of images, ages of the victims, and severity of the acts, Pyle was charged with 30 second-degree felonies for possessing child pornography (as opposed to third-degree charges), which could bring a sentence of 450 years imprisonment.[3]
Imprisoned on the 24th, Pyle posted a bail bond of US$90,000 (equivalent to $114,260 in 2023) and surrendered his passport to leave jail. When he failed to attend a hearing 16 months later on October 23, 2017, he became a fugitive. Despite lacking his passport, Pyle boarded a Carnival cruise ship bound for Cozumel, Mexico. When Carnival called Pyle's brother to tell him that Pyle had failed to reboard in Cozumel, bounty hunters went to search for him. Pyle was last seen in the Mexican state of Nuevo León on February 16, 2018, and by June it was believed he was no longer in that nation.[4] In June 2022, Pyle was arrested by the United States Marshals Service and Mexico's National Institute of Migration in Mérida, Yucatán, and then transferred to Marshals' custody in Miami[6] before being returned to the Sarasota County, Florida jail.[7]
Pyle was originally scheduled to stand trial in November 2023 on charges possessing child pornography and failure to appear. Pyle filed a motion to dismiss the charges, claiming that supporting evidence for the 2016 search warrant did not qualify as child pornography, rendering it invalid, and that any evidence obtained from thereby-unlawful searches was inadmissible. In January 2024, a Sarasota circuit judge denied Pyle's motions, citing sufficient evidence and the police probable cause affidavit. As of 18 April 2024[update], Pyle's trial was scheduled to begin the week of April 22.[7]
- Buck, Megan (June 24, 2016), Probable Cause Affidavit, Sarasota Police Department, archived from the original on January 30, 2021, retrieved January 30, 2021
- Friedman, Nick (February 23, 2012). "Going the Distance: Sarasota man to run 3,273 miles". Observer Media Group. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- Davidson, Michael Scott (July 1, 2016). "Well-known runner accused in child porn case". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. ISSN 2641-4503. OCLC 51645638. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
John Pyle was known for carrying a large American flag cross-country in a run to raise money for veterans charities.
- Anderson, Chris (June 4, 2018). "Fugitive from Sarasota spotted in Mexico, still on the run". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. ISSN 2641-4503. OCLC 51645638. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
Sarasota County resident facing 30 counts of possessing child pornography and up to 450 years in prison was last seen in 2016
- Conlon, Kendra (June 24, 2016). "Well-known Sarasota runner arrested for child porn". WTSP. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- Szymanowska, Gabriela (June 13, 2022). "Sarasota man wanted since 2017 for possession of child pornography arrested in Mexico". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. ISSN 2641-4503. OCLC 51645638. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- Szymanowska, Gabriela (April 18, 2024). "Child pornography trial set for Sarasota runner caught in Mexico. Here's what to know". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. ISSN 2641-4503. OCLC 51645638. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.