CLEARWATER, Fla. – Three Clearwater roommates have been charged in a child exploitation case that involved over 1,000 images of child porn.
Joshua Tripp, 42, Clearwater, with three counts of distributing and one count of possessing child sex abuse material.
Tripp is a registered sex offender and has prior felony convictions for aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, aggravated statutory rape, and lewd and lascivious molestation.
The grand jury also returned indictments charging Tripp’s roommates, Craigan Joyner, 20, Clearwater, and Donald Shadowens, 30, Clearwater, with one count of receiving and one count of possessing child sexual abuse materials.
In the news: Department Of Defense Contractor Arrested In Tampa On Child Porn Charges
On August 19, 2022, Tripp, Joyner, and Shadowens made their initial appearances in court. Tripp and Joyner were detained pending trial. Shadowens was released on a bond with conditions.
According to the court documents, Tripp, Joyner, and Shadowens all lived together at the same residence in Clearwater.
On August 18, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at the home and discovered more than 1,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material on the defendants’ devices.
This material included the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12 and sado-masochistic images of children.
If convicted, Tripp faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison for each distribution count and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the possession count.
If convicted, each faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, for the receipt count and up to 10 years imprisonment for the possession count.
Visit Tampafp.com for Politics, Sports, and National Headlines. Support journalism by clicking here to our GiveSendGo or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.
Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook Here Or Twitter Here.
Copyright 2022 The Free Press, LLC, tampafp.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.