Donald Ray Shadowens, Child Sex Abuse Material, Florida 2023

Clearwater duo sentenced in child sex abuse case

Tampa, Florida – In a disturbing case of child exploitation, two roommates of a convicted sex offender have been sentenced to prison for receiving child sex abuse material. Donald Ray Shadowens, 30, of Clearwater, was sentenced to 6 years in federal prison for receiving child sex abuse material. His roommate, Craigan Joyner, 20, of Clearwater, received a 5-year and 10-month sentence for the same crime.

According to court documents, Joshua Tripp, Joyner, and Shadowens all lived together at a residence in Clearwater. On August 18, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at the residence and discovered more than 1,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material on the three defendants’ electronic devices. This material included children less than 12 years old and children in sado-masochistic images.

Additionally, certain conversations between Tripp and Joyner indicated their desire to drug and rape children. Tripp pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child sex abuse material and one count of receiving child sex abuse material on March 28, 2023. He is scheduled for sentencing on November 8, 2023.

‘These predators openly discussed their desires to drug and rape children and possessed a vast collection of explicit images and videos of children,’ said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. ‘HSI, alongside our partners in the Dickson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office, the Clearwater Police Department, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, are fully committed to making our streets safe from those who sexually exploit children.’

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with substantial assistance from the Dickson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office, the Clearwater Police Department, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.

The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

Project Safe Childhood is aimed at making communities safer for children and providing support to victims of child exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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