Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge James S. Moody has sentenced Donald Ray Shadowens (30, Clearwater) to 6 years in federal prison for receiving child sex abuse material. On April 19, 2023, Judge Moody sentenced related defendant Craigan Joyner (20, Clearwater) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for receiving child sex abuse material. Both Shadowens and Joyner will be required to register as sex offenders and pay restitution to their victims. Shadowens had pleaded guilty on February 8, 2023, and Joyner pleaded guilty on Jan. 11, 2023.
According to court documents, Joshua Tripp, Joyner, and Shadowens all lived together at a residence in Clearwater. On Aug. 18, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at the residence and discovered more than 1,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material on the three defendants’ electronic devices. This material included children less than 12 years old and children in sado-masochistic images. Additionally, certain conversations between Tripp and Joyner indicated their desire to drug and rape children.
Tripp pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child sex abuse material and one count of receiving child sex abuse material on March 28, 2023. He is scheduled for sentencing on November 8, 2023.
“These predators openly discussed their desires to drug and rape children and possessed a vast collection of explicit images and videos of children," said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “HSI, alongside our partners in the Dickson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office, the Clearwater Police Department, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, are fully committed to making our streets safe from those who sexually exploit children."
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with substantial assistance from the Dickson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office, the Clearwater Police Department, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.
This 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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys