Puyallup man arrested for allegedly posting videos of child sex abuse online
SEATTLE - A Puyallup man was arrested by the FBI at Sea-Tac International Airport on Thursday for allegedly posting videos of children being sexually abused online.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), 21-year-old Shawn Stone was flying back to Seattle from Amsterdam when the FBI arrested him at the airport. FBI investigators learned about Stone’s involvement in child porn when they found his username post on a website – which carries a reputation for being a place where sex offenders share this type of illegal content.
Investigators say they are now working to find out if Stone created and monitored a discussion board that showed two minors being abused on the salacious website.
Authorities say the abuse supposedly happened in 2019 while Stone was on a family trip in Germany. After searching through his cell phone, investigators found multiple images of child sexual abuse.
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Stone has been charged by criminal complaint with one count of producing child porn, and one count of transporting child porn.
At this point in the investigation, the charges are only allegations and Stone will be considered innocent until proven guilty. If he is found guilty, the punishment for these charges could mean 20 years in prison.
The investigation is being led by the FBI. Other agencies involved include the Tacoma Police Department, the Washington State Patrol, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Washington State Department of Corrections, the Federal Protective Service and the U.S. Army.
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According to the Tacoma Police Department (TPD), detectives served a warrant in Federal Way and arrested the man on four counts of first-degree possessing depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Court documents say the files involved children under the age of 12.
This is a developing story.