SOUTH BEND — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), published as received.
SOUTH BEND – Shane Smith, 35 years old, of Milford, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L Miller, Jr. on his plea of guilty to production of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Smith was sentenced to 211 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, Smith created fake social media accounts to befriend minors and persuade them to produce pornography to send him. The investigation revealed that Smith also possessed over 1,700 images and over 950 videos of child pornography on his electronic devices.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John M. Maciejczyk.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .
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