Eunice man pleads guilty to sexually exploiting a minor

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Eunice man pleaded guilty Tuesday to convincing a minor girl to send him sexually explicit pictures.

Adam Shilow, 35, of Eunice, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to one count of receiving material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter. According to the guilty plea, starting in October of 2013, Shilow contacted a 12-year-old female using an internet-based communication application. He portrayed his identity as a juvenile male with his same name. They exchanged sexually explicit pictures of each other in November of 2013. The juvenile’s mother notified law enforcement of Shilow’s activities after noticing an inappropriate message on her daughter’s phone on November 15, 2013.

Shilow faces 15 to 40 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He is also required to register as a sex offender. A sentencing date was not set.

Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office and the Nassau County of New York Police Department investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE.  Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be submitted anonymously.