Clermont County Man Convicted of 13 Counts of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) Sentenced
Clermont County Prosecutor
| For Immediate Release Batavia, Ohio Clermont County, Ohio Clermont County Prosecutor Mark J. Tekulve announces that a Clermont County jury has returned a guilty verdict in the case of State v. Charles Shropshire. On September 9, 2026, after a two-day jury trial, Charles Shropshire of Batavia, age 39, was found guilty on 13 counts of Pandering in Sexually-Oriented Matter involving a Minor. Each count carries 2-8 years in prison. This case began in 2022 with simultaneous investigations being conducted by the Clermont County Sheriff Christopher Stratton’s Office. One being the investigation of multiple rapes of a minor and the other an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) tip investigation where CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) was discovered on multiple of Shropshire’s social media apps. As part of her investigation of those initial crimes, Sgt. Yvonne Sheppard examined the Defendant’s cell phone, where she found numerous CSAM videos, some as long as 14 minutes in length. The videos located depicted not only sexual violence but bestiality as well. The trial for the CSAM videos on the phone began on September 8th and concluded in the afternoon of September 9th when the Jury reached verdicts of Guilty on all 13 charges of Pandering in Sexually-Oriented Matter Involving a Minor. This morning, Clermont County Common Pleas Judge Kevin Miles sentenced Shropshire to 82 years in prison. The Clermont County Sheriff’s Office S.A.F.E. Unit was integral in analyzing evidence and securing a conviction in this case. S.A.F.E. Unit Criminalist Joe Ruchti spent hours poring over data from Shropshire’s phone and provided vital testimony to aid Assistant Prosecutors Christina Dattilo and Nick Horton in presenting the case to the jury. Now that the Sheriff’s Office is equipped to analyze forensic data, especially that from cell phones, and present the data in a simplified manner, the Clermont County Prosecutor’s Office expects continued success in partnering with Sheriff Stratton and his office in their effort to keep Clermont County a safe place. “While we may not know who these children are, we know many of them were tortured and forced to endure unspeakable sex acts. My office will continue to fight for these children who are not in a position to fight for themselves. We are dedicated to stopping the continuous spread of Child Sexual Abuse Material in Clermont County and will devote countless hours to getting justice for the victims whose names are unknown to us. The victims of CSAM are not only being sexually abused, but their images and videos are sometimes shared all over the world via the internet. Sheriff Christopher Stratton and my office continue to send the message that if you create, download, or possess CSAM in Clermont County, you will face severe punishment. I want to personally thank the Jurors who had to watch these horrific videos. Without your bravery and dedication, we would not be able to achieve justice for these children. – Mark J. Tekulve, Clermont County Prosecuting Attorney |
Charles A. Shropshire 06/20/1987
*Mugshot courtesy of the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office*