Lansing man convicted on 5 counts relating to the production and receipt of child pornography receives 300 months in federal prison following ICE HSI, DHS Alliance investigation
DETROIT – A federal judge today sentenced a Lansing, Michigan man to 300 months in federal prison after having been convicted on multiple charges relating to the production and receipt of child pornography announced acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris III, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison and R. Alan Booth, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, Detroit Sector Border Patrol.
Sentenced was Michael McShan, 28.
The 5-day trial, which began on October 28, 2021, was conducted before United States District Judge David M. Lawson in Detroit. The jury deliberated approximately an hour before returning the guilty verdicts.
According to evidence presented during the trial, in December 2018, McShan met a minor female (MV-1) on a social media site called “MeetMe,” and then began communicating with MV-1 via Snapchat, cellphone calls and text messages. McShan quickly began an abusive and sexual relationship with MV-1. McShan enticed and persuaded MV-1 to produce images and videos of herself and another minor female victim (MV-2) engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Over the course of a few months, McShan, became increasingly controlling over MV-1. McShan coerced and enticed MV-1 through flattery, threats, and guilt to manipulate MV-1 into continuing to send him sexually explicit photos and videos as well as money.
Evidence further showed that in an attempt to get released on bond pending his trial, McShan directed his then-girlfriend to write a false confession to the child exploitation crimes.
McShan was convicted of production of child pornography; attempted production of child pornography; receipt of child pornography; coercion and enticement of a minor, and obstruction of justice. Upon release, McShan will be on supervised release for the rest of his life.
“McShan’s horrific acts underscore the importance of talking with your children about the dangers of interacting with people they don’t know online,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris III. “Our agents along with our Border Patrol and DHS partners remain committed to bringing predators like McShan to justice, and providing care and support to the victims of these crimes.”
“Protecting children from dangerous child predators is a top priority for our office,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “I commend our law enforcement partners for their hard work and dedication to investigating and prosecuting crimes against children.”
“I’m immensely proud of the collaborative effort between Border Patrol agents and HSI agents that led to the conviction of this man who committed heinous crimes,” said R. Alan Booth (A) Chief Patrol Agent, Detroit Sector Border Patrol. “Our mission encompasses many factors but protecting the communities we live in is always our priority.”
The case was investigated by HSI and U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the DHS Alliance Human Trafficking Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maggie Smith and Sara Woodward.
HSI is a directorate of ICE and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 special agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
Learn more about HSI’s child exploitation mission @HSIDetroit.
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