Fargo Man Faces Federal Charges in Child Exploitation Case
FARGO, N.D. (trfnews.i234.me) — A Fargo man now faces federal charges in a child exploitation investigation involving three Iowa girls.
Devon McCoy Shealy was charged August 3 in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota.
He faces charges of sexual exploitation of a minor and receipt of images depicting sexual exploitation of minors.
The allegations are detailed in a federal complaint filed by a Homeland Security Investigations special agent.
Investigation Began After Discovery in Iowa
The case began after an Iowa mother found concerning images on her eight-year-old twin daughters’ phones.
A nine-year-old friend later told investigators she had communicated with someone through Snapchat.
Investigators said the Snapchat user claimed to be a 14-year-old boy from Minnesota.
The user allegedly asked the children to provide sexual images, according to court documents.
Authorities later traced a phone number connected with the messages to Shealy in Fargo.
Investigators searched Shealy and his Fargo apartment on May 18, according to the federal complaint.
Several phones and other electronic devices were seized during the search.
Phone Analysis Leads to Federal Case
Investigators said Shealy acknowledged creating and using the Snapchat account identified in the investigation.
He also allegedly acknowledged requesting sexual content through Snapchat, according to the federal affidavit.
Authorities said he knew some people contacted through the account were minors.
A forensic review of one phone located about 826 files, according to investigators.
Authorities classified 633 of those files as child sexual abuse material.
Investigators also reported finding files matching material recovered from devices belonging to the alleged victims.
The complaint says messages provided additional evidence connecting Shealy with the children.
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations, the Fargo Police Department, and the Carroll Police Department.
Information about federal prosecutions is available through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota.
The charges are allegations. Shealy is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.
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