Jacksonville Man Sentenced to 20 Years After Soliciting Minor for Sex and Child Pornography

RALEIGH, N.C. – Morgan Jeffrey Shepard, 33, of Jacksonville was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for production of child pornography.

According to information provided to the court, in late 2016, the Wilmington Police Department received a report that a 14-year-old female was having a sexual relationship with an adult male from Jacksonville, NC.  The minor victim told investigators that in September 2016, a man, later identified as the defendant Morgan Shepard, who was 29 years old at the time, had contacted her through social media and asked her to engage in sexual acts for money.  On two occasions, he provided the victim with money and transportation to Wilmington in exchange for sex with him.  In total, the victim had three or four sexual encounters with Shepard.  He would not say his name, but she learned his name from mail in his house and was also able to identify him to law enforcement by his photo.  In addition to the in-person encounters, Shepard paid the minor victim to send him nude photos on Snapchat. 

Law enforcement searched the victim’s phone and found over a thousand text messages between her and Shepard.   In one early exchange, Shepard mentioned that the victim was then 13 years old.  In another, Shepard requested nude photos  and offered “200 and smokes” if she would have sex with him in his car

In July of 2017, Onslow County executed a search warrant at Shepard’s Jacksonville residence.  The layout and décor matched what the victim had drawn during a forensic interview.  Law enforcement seized Shepard’s phone and a memory card within it.  On the memory card, which also contained Shepard’s resume, they found a collection of 25 subfolders labeled with girls’ names.  One folder was labeled with the victim’s name and contained multiple images and videos of her that constitute child pornography.  Law enforcement identified multiple other girls whose nude photos were contained on the memory card, at least three of which also constituted child pornography.

In April 2018, while on bond for state charges related to the offense, Shepard (now 30 years old) used Instagram to contact a 13-year-old Craven County girl and offer her money for sex.  The girl reported the conversation to her School Resource Officer, who referred it to the Craven County Sheriff’s Office.  A detective then assumed the girl’s Instagram identity and continued the conversation.  Shepard acknowledged the girl’s age, but still made plans to pick her up from a fast food restaurant and then go to a hotel for sex.  He arrived as planned, but was met by officers.  He attempted to flee and struck a police vehicle before being arrested. 

Law enforcement obtained records of Shepard’s Instagram activity, which revealed that he had attempted to solicit no less than 78 young girls in the previous four months.  Law enforcement successfully identified 13 of these girls and confirmed that all 13 were between 11 and 15 years of age.  When girls had responded to an initial message about making money, Shepard would offer between $300 and $1,000 for sex or nude photos.  

Mr. Higdon commented:  “The facts of this case have become part of a frightening pattern: predator uses the internet to lure a young, vulnerable victim and sexually abuses them and exploits them through manufacturing pornography.  Through aggressive prosecutions, we are working to stop this abuse and to prevent others from becoming victims.  Parents, teachers, faith leaders – anyone with access to children – must join us in educating our children, monitoring their interaction with those who would prey upon them and oversee their online relationships.  It is critical that we work together to protect our children.”

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle.   

The Department of Homeland Security, the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.

This case is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level.  For more information about this important national initiative, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.  Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:19-cr-0121-BO.

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