Georgia man sentenced for sex abuse of minors he met through social media
SAVANNAH, Ga. — A Georgia man who used social media programs to meet and then sexually exploit children was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of production of child pornography and the coercion and enticement of a child under the age of 18 to engage in illegal sexual activity.
The investigation into Donnel Cornelius Shavers, 23, of Waycross, was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Ware County Sheriff's Office. His prison term will be followed by a life term of supervised release. Shavers will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Shavers pleaded guilty to the offenses on Sept. 2, 2014.
United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, "This investigation again demonstrates the commitment of the U.S. Attorney's Office to aggressively prosecute individuals who are involved in predatory and exploitative acts directed at children. Clearly, the conduct of this defendant was deplorable and damaging to his victims. We cannot and will not tolerate the types of offenses he committed. His pattern of predatory behavior as one of the many disturbing components of his criminal conduct and the lengthy punishment he received from the Court is completely justified."
"HSI investigations involving child exploitation fall under Operation Predator, and this case is a clear demonstration of why we use the title of predator for those who seek to victimize the innocent," said Ryan L. Spradlin, acting special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Atlanta. "The defendant in this case used social media to stalk his prey, enticed them to produce child pornography and then attempted to coerce them into meeting him so he could sexually assault them. Law enforcement has identified nearly a dozen victims of this scheme."
Ware County Sheriff Randy F. Royal said, "I am proud of our investigator who began the initial investigation, which led to Mr. Shavers' arrest. I am prouder still of the level of support and the spirit of cooperation between our agency and Homeland Security Investigations, which afforded the manpower and resources needed to broaden the scope of the investigation so that all the victims in this case will get the opportunity for justice."
Evidence developed during the investigation revealed that Shavers communicated via Facebook with at least 10 minors. These communications led to the production of child pornography and the eventual coercion and enticement of several minor females to engage in sex acts with him.
Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel Crumby, Karl Knoche, and Joseph Newman prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States
This investigation was conducted under HSI's Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 12,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2014, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.
HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE 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-THE-LOST.
For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.
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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