Snapchat User Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distributing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A Charlotte man was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison today for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including material depicting prepubescent children under 12 years of age, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

U.S. District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez sentenced Terrell Shawn Anderson, 31, of Charlotte, to 15 years in prison followed by 30 years of supervised release. Judge Rodriguez also ordered Anderson to pay $3,000 in restitution, $5,000 in special assessments pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, and $15,000 in special assessments pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.

"Social media helps people stay connected, but it can also become a place where children are victimized," said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. "We will remain vigilant in prosecuting these cases, but we also hope this case serves as a cautionary tale for parents to monitor their children's social media use."

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, law enforcement received multiple cybertips that an individual, later identified as Anderson, was using at least 13 Snapchat accounts and other social media platforms to distribute videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of minors, including children under 12 years old. In October 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Anderson's residence, seizing two cellphones and other evidence. During an interview with law enforcement, Anderson admitted that he possessed CSAM. He further admitted that the multiple Snapchat accounts belonged to him and that he was using them to obtain and distribute CSAM with others, including individuals he believed to be minors and adults. According to Anderson, he estimated talking with 45 minor females and getting some of them to create nude images of themselves. A forensic review of the seized cellphones revealed that Anderson had at least 697 videos and 2,183 images of CSAM, including 29 videos and 7 images depicting sadistic or masochistic conduct depicting children.

In sentencing Anderson, Judge Rodriguez said, this is a "very serious crime," it is "not a victimless crime," and deterrence of others is an important factor in issuing this sentence.

Anderson pleaded guilty to distribution of CSAM and possession and access with intent to view CSAM that involved a prepubescent minor and a minor who had not yet attained 12 years of age. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility.

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their work on this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

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 the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.