CONCORD, NH – A Nashua man was sentenced in federal court for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Shane Niven, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott to 120 months in federal prison followed by 8 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $24,000 in restitution and a $5,000 special assessment. Niven pleaded guilty in April to possessing child pornography.
“The defendant is a recidivist sex offender who continued his online exploitation of children,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “This case highlights the importance of reporting child sexual exploitation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Cyber tips to NCMEC alerted law enforcement to the defendant’s nefarious online activity and potentially saved additional victims from harm.”
“Niven had already been convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material when he was caught yet again with these horrific files in his possession. Continued vigilance by HSI special agents, paired with our critical public and private sectors partners, allows us to detect, identify and bring to justice predators like Niven, who possess and trade in child sexual abuse material,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England.
According to court documents and statements made in court, federal authorities found CSAM on electronic devices belonging to Niven after executing a federal search warrant at his home. Niven is a registered sex offender with a prior conviction for possession of CSAM. Authorities identified Niven through tips made to NCMEC, which reflected that on at least two occasions, Niven’s residential IP address had been used to share hundreds of files of suspected CSAM with users of a particular online platform. Several of the files identified in the tips to NCMEC were found on devices seized from Niven’s home.
Homeland Security Investigations led the federal investigation in partnership with the Nashua Police Department. The New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.