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Shane Johnston, 46, went by the name "FairyHunter" on Discord, where he conversed with the child in June 2023, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica D. Aber said.
Johnston became the center of the investigation that summer, when Homeland Security Investigations Toronto contacted the Richmond team regarding "FairyHunter," Aber's office said.
In August 2023, HSI agents obtained a search warrant for five electronic devices belonging to Johnston, which contained 7,453 media files constituting child pornography, federal officials said.
A review of Johnston’s Discord account revealed a conversation in June 2023 between Johnston and a 9-year-old child during which Johnston induced the child to produce and send to him images of herself engaging in sexual activity.
Scheduling is set for Aug. 13. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea Gibbons is prosecuting the case.
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