SPOKANE, WA – A former Spokane teacher has been arrested in Florida following an investigation by the Spokane Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit.
According to SPD, 38-year-old Tyrone L. Cliff was taken into custody on October 28, 2025, in Hillsborough County, Florida, on multiple felony charges of possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children. Cliff, a former resident of Spokane and teacher at a local religious school, was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail and is awaiting extradition back to Washington State.
The investigation began in August 2025 when SPD detectives received a CyberTip concerning the viewing and downloading of child sexual abuse material. Through the course of the investigation, detectives identified Cliff as the suspect. Before search warrants could be served at his Spokane residence, authorities learned he had relocated to Florida.
SPD’s ICAC detectives then coordinated with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Tampa Police Department, leading to the issuance of multiple felony warrants and Cliff’s subsequent arrest.
After his arrest, investigators discovered that Cliff had been employed as a middle school teacher in Hillsborough County.
SPD credited the collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies in Washington and Florida for the swift apprehension.
More information about the case can be found through the FDLE’s Tampa Field Office.
