24-year-old Virginia woman sentenced in Wyoming to 20 years for producing child pornography
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — A 24-year-old woman from Virginia was sentenced Friday to 20 years in federal prison for producing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Christopher Crofts, District of Wyoming.
In addition to the prison sentence, Jessica Shockley, of Bland, Va., was also ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson to pay a $1,000 fine, and she will be on lifetime probation after she's released from prison.
This investigation was led by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the Wyoming Department of Probation and Parole, the Rock Springs Police Department, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and Virginia authorities.
According to a federal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for Wyoming, Shockley engaged in sexual activity with a 3-month-old child, took photographs of the sexual activity, and sent the images to an individual in Rock Springs, Wyo.
"I am personally grateful to all of those involved in the investigation and prosecution of this most difficult case," said US Attorney Crofts. "It is vitally important that we aggressively prosecute these cases so that our children may remain safe and enjoy a healthy and happy childhood."
"Anyone who produces child pornography begins the cycle of sexual abuse for children around the world," said Kumar C. Kibble, special agent in charge of HSI Denver. "This significant prison sentence handed down to a 24-year-old mother of two demonstrates the severity of her admitted actions in producing child pornography, and how serious the law considers this crime. This is why Homeland Security Investigations has such an active program for targeting predators and rescuing their victims."
This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide HSI initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders and child sex traffickers. HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423 or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.
Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-843-5678.
HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.
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