Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

Fort Wayne - Shawn Bryan, 40, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced by Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to Sexual Exploitation of Children, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.

Bryan was sentenced to 78 months in prison to be followed by 7 years of supervised release. Restitution will be determined at a later date.

"Shawn Bryan will spend the next six and a half years in prison for his actions. These offenses have life-altering, lasting impacts on victims and their families and require severe punishment to deter others from engaging in this heinous behavior. The conduct of offenders who access materials depicting children in sexually explicit situations serves to enhance the demand for such items, thereby perpetuating the cycle of sexual abuse and victimization. The United States Attorneys' Office will use whatever resources at our disposal to aggressively prosecute these offenders and get justice for their victims." Said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred.

"Those who sexually exploit children should know this: you cannot hide behind technology or anonymity. The FBI will relentlessly pursue those who prey on children and contribute to their continued abuse. The FBI will track you down, and justice will find you," said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O'Malley. "Protecting children is a priority, and those who commit these heinous crimes will be held accountable."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood 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, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

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