Canton Man Faces Child Pornography Charges

Shane C. Albert, 23, of Canton, Ohio, was charged with receiving, distributing and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The indictment charges that from on or about May 1, 2012, through on or about March 7, 2013, Albert knowingly received and distributed in interstate and foreign commerce, by computer, numerous computer files, which files contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. 

The indictment also charges that on May 1, 2013, Albert possessed a computer that contained child pornography.

If convicted, the sentence sentence in this case will be determined by the court after consideration of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines which depend upon a number of factors unique to each case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the unique characteristics of the violation.  In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Sullivan.  The case was investigated by the Canton Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Canton Police Department.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.