Shane Christopher Abrams of Deland pleaded guilty on Mar. 6 to attempting to entice a 13-year-old child to produce and send him sexually explicit photos, according to U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. Abrams faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison, with the possibility of a life term of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for June 25.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to address crimes involving the exploitation of children online.
Court documents show that on April 3, an undercover FBI agent posing as a 13-year-old engaged in conversation with Abrams, who used the online name “Malicious_Malediction.” During these exchanges, Abrams asked inappropriate questions about the supposed child’s body and later continued communication via text messages. Between April 4 and April 20, Abrams repeatedly solicited explicit images from the individual he believed was a minor, providing detailed instructions and sending explicit material himself.
Abrams was arrested by FBI agents on May 20 in a parking lot near his workplace in South Daytona. The investigation involved both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated federal, state, and local resources. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
