A North Carolina man used social media platforms to target teenage boys from Southwest Virginia, leading to a guilty plea to federal charges.
Jonathan Avery Shumate, 53, of Warrensville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of minors today, June 21, 2022, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon, Virginia.
According to court documents, Shumate used both Snapchat and Grindr to contact teenage males attending Oak Hill Academy in Grayson County, Virginia. He offered to provide vapes and vaping materials in exchange for the sixteen- and seventeen-year-old boys sending him sexually explicit photographs and nude videos of themselves.
In addition to communicating online, Shumate traveled to Oak Hill Academy to deliver the vaping supplies, and also offered to provide oral sex for the juveniles while requesting that they perform oral sex for him.
Shumate is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2022, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher is prosecuting the case.
The crime highlights the importance of online safety and the need for parents and guardians to monitor the online activities of their children. It also underscores the severity of child exploitation and the importance of bringing perpetrators to justice.
Related Federal Cases
- Jonathan Wilson, Production of Child Pornography, Virginia 2023 · Alabama
- Jason Kelly Inman, Child Exploitation, Virginia 2020 · Oklahoma
- Todd Stewart Williams, Child Pornography Ring Operation, Virginia 2024 · Oklahoma
- John Doe, Child Pornography Receipt, Virginia 2024 · Texas
- Virginia Man Charged with Production of Child Pornography · North Carolina
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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