AKRON, OHIO — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), published as received.

AKRON, Ohio – A Stark County man, and previously convicted sex offender, has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography offenses.

Shane Stouffer, 46, of Canton, Ohio, has been sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko, after pleading guilty in January to the following charges in the indictment:

  • Receipt of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
  • Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)

He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment.

According to court documents, agents conducting investigations into suspected CSAM activity on social media platforms identified Stouffer in 2025. During a search warrant execution at his residence, which he shared with co-defendant Daniel J. Dobies, 57, investigators found electronic devices belonging to Stouffer which contained approximately 158 videos and 43 images which were CSAM. The files included depictions of children under the age of 12 being raped and molested.

During the investigation, agents conducted a criminal history search of Stouffer and Dobies. Stouffer was convicted in October 1999 for Rape and Gross Sexual Imposition involving minor victims and was again convicted of Gross Sexual Imposition involving a minor victim in 2014. Dobies also had prior convictions related to sexual abuse including Gross Sexual Imposition in 1991, and Attempted Rape in 1993.

Dobies also pleaded guilty to charges of receipt and distribution, as well as possession, of CSAM and is scheduled to be sentenced June 11.

The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Canton Resident Agency and the Canton Police Department with assistance from the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Stark County Sex Offender Registry.

Assistant United States Attorney Peter E. Daly for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.