Shelby County man who amassed vast child porn collection from ‘dark web’ sentenced to 15 years in federal prison

U.S. NEWS



A Shelby County man is going to federal prison after pleading guilty to child pornography charges.

Shawn Michael Hughes, 38, of Chelsea, admitted to being a member of a dark web chat board dedicated to discussing and exchanging images of child sexual abuse. Authorities said he posted links to child sex abuse material on that site.

U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Hughes to 15 years in prison, said Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.

After Hughes completes his prison sentence, he will be on supervised release for the rest of life. He is also required to register as a convicted sex offender.

Federal officials said Hughes had amassed a vast collection of images of child sexual abuse on his electronic devices seized from his residence.

“Today’s sentencing sends a resounding message to those who would use the shadows of the Dark Web to commit such heinous crimes,” Escalona said. “We will continue to relentlessly pursue justice for every child impacted by these heinous acts.”

FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case, along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama prosecuted the case.



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