Tyler Valenzia, left, in a photo investigators say he sent to a 14-year-old girl in 2025, and his driver’s license photo, right, as shown in an affidavit filed in federal court. (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia )
A former Marine sergeant who amassed more than 1.5 million followers across social media platforms is under federal indictment on child sexual abuse charges, court records show.
Tyler Valenzia, 27, is accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl over the course of about 10 months, according to filings made Feb. 10 in a U.S. district court in Virginia.
The charges include one count each of sexual abuse of a minor, coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and transportation of sexually explicit images of minors.
Valenzia enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2018 as a reconfigurable transportable consolidated automated support system technician and was stationed in San Diego. He left the service as a sergeant in May 2023, according to his website and court documents.
His online biography says he remained in San Diego after his discharge and focused on “building (his) brand, live streaming, and inspiring others.”
As a Marine, Valenzia frequently posted bodybuilding workout videos on his self-named TikTok and Instagram pages. In the years since he left the service, his posts became less frequent but focused on fitness and video game streaming.
Authorities began investigating him in late 2025, when the father of a 15-year-old girl reported finding “alarming messages, including nude images” sent to Valenzia on his daughter’s phone, according to a Jan. 20 indictment.
Investigators said the girl told them Valenzia first contacted her through a private message on his TikTok account in early 2025. Messages included in court filings show she repeatedly told him she was 14 and a freshman in high school.
Valenzia flew to Virginia in April 2025 to meet her in person, and the two engaged in sexual activity, authorities say. He traveled to Illinois three months later to meet her again, according to prosecutors.
An FBI agent posing as the girl set up a meeting with Valenzia at a Virginia mall, where he was arrested Jan. 19, the indictment states.
The case has drawn attention among military influencers on social media. An Instagram reel by Marine veteran and fitness influencer Tyson Sonnek alludes to a previous case involving Valencia.
According to court records, Valenzia “solicited images of a sexual nature” from a child in 2023. Because he had been discharged from the military around that time, the matter was referred to local law enforcement and no charges were ultimately filed, the affidavit states.
Valenzia is scheduled for arraignment Wednesday, the court’s website shows.
Stars and Stripes reporter Matthew M. Burke contributed to this article
