3 Clearwater Roommates Indicted For Possessing Child Abuse Porn

TAMPA, FL — United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the return of indictments charging three Clearwater roommates with possessing, receiving and distributing photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

Joshua Tripp, 42, was indicted on three counts of distributing and one count of possessing child sex abuse material.

If convicted, Tripp could get a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years and up to 40 years in federal prison for each distribution count and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the possession count.

Tripp is a registered sex offender and has prior felony convictions for aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, aggravated statutory rape and lewd and lascivious molestation.

A grand jury also returned indictments charging Craigan Joyner, 20, and Donald Shadowens, 30, with one count each of receiving and one count each of possessing child sexual abuse materials.

If convicted, each faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years and up to 20 years for receiving child sex abuse materials and up to 10 years for the possession count.

On Aug. 19, Tripp, Joyner and Shadowens made their initial appearances before Judge Christopher P. Tuite. Tripp and Joyner were jailed pending trial and Shadowens was released on a bond with conditions.

According to the court documents, on Aug. 18, investigators following up on a tip served a search warrant at the home of the three roommates and found more than 1,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material on their computers and cell phones, including the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12 and sadomasochistic images of children.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Dickson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office, the Clearwater Police Department and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.