Sacramento Man Sentenced to over 19 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

Orest Shaynyuk, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to 19 years and seven months in prison and for distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), United States Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, in 2013, Shaynyuk was convicted of possession of CSAM. After serving his sentence and while on supervised release, his probation officer found him to be in possession of an iPhone that contained CSAM. Simultaneously, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was investigating a tip from an internet communications platform that Shaynyuk was trafficking CSAM. Forensic reports and data from the communications platform showed that Shaynyuk distributed CSAM to other users of the communications platform.

“This sentence reflects the gravity of the defendant’s repeated crimes and the lasting harm caused to the most vulnerable members of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “When individuals continue to exploit children despite prior convictions, they demonstrate a clear danger to the public. Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue repeat offenders and ensure they are held fully accountable under the law.”

“This case reflects the strength of coordinated law enforcement efforts focused on protecting children,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “Working alongside our local, state, and federal partners, investigators disrupted criminal activity tied to the sexual exploitation of minors. The 235-month federal prison sentence underscores the FBI’s relentless pursuit of offenders who harm children and threaten the safety of our communities.”

The Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Probation, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted the case.

This case was 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.