MEMPHIS, Tennessee — A former educator and minister from Olive Branch, Mississippi, received a 35-year prison sentence this week following his conviction during a jury trial on a charge of child exploitation.
Kyle Michael Hilleary, 32, must serve 25 years of his sentence day-for-day without the option for parole, according to a Thursday announcement from the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office. Following his prison term, Hilleary will face five years of probation.
The court also mandated that Hilleary pay $1,000 to the Victims of Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation Fund alongside an additional $1,000 to the Mississippi Children’s Trust Fund. Furthermore, he is required to register as a sex offender.
Law enforcement officials previously arrested Hilleary in November 2023. Following the arrest, Cedar View Baptist Church in Olive Branch, where Hilleary had been employed as a Pastor in Residence, announced that the institution immediately suspended him from his duties.
Hilleary was also employed as a teacher at Cross Creek Christian School. Representatives from the educational institution stated that his employment was terminated.
The criminal case arose from a joint undercover operation named Operation Toil and Trouble, which was conducted by the Attorney General’s office in collaboration with the Olive Branch Police Department.
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