Nokomis Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

TAMPA—U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara sentenced John Anderson Shinault (59, Nokomis) last week to 15 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. Shinault was also ordered to register as a sex offender and to serve a lifetime of supervised release. Shinault pleaded guilty on June 22, 2012.

According to court documents, Shinault used a peer-to-peer program to receive and distribute child pornography over the Internet. On August 24, 2011, an FBI task force officer downloaded files of child pornography from an Internet protocol (IP) address that was traced to Shinault’s residence. On October 4, 2011, FBI agents went to the residence and seized two computers and a hard drive. A subsequent forensic examination of the items revealed that they contained 3,600 images and 14 videos of child pornography.

At the time of the offenses, Shinault was a registered sex offender following a 1998 Texas conviction for injury to a child less than 15 years of age. In 1988, he was convicted and court-martialed by the United States Navy for indecent liberties with a child.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”