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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A west Michigan orthodontist has been sentenced to 60 years behind bars for exploiting numerous teens and pre-teens online for five years, federal officials announced on Thursday.
Big picture view:
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said 44-year-old Thomas Shannon was reported to police by a 16-year-old in North Carolina who says they were sexually exploited on Snapchat.
ICE said HSI investigators identified Shannon in the report, who at the time was an orthodontist in Grandville, just southwest of Grand Rapids. Special agents found at least 16 other child victims, one of whom was only 12, on Shannon's Snapchat account. The ages ranged from 12 to 17.
Officials say another victim Shannon met and exploited through a different app came forward while he was already on bond for child sexual abuse charges.
What they're saying:
Shannon's yacht, where officials say he committed these crimes, was forfeited as part of the prosecution.
"Shannon’s selfish and senseless exploitation of these children has exposed them to a lifetime of emotional damage," U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey said. "I sincerely hope they can overcome it. But preying on our children must stop, and we will seek long sentences against people like Shannon until it does stop."
Officials say the investigation was all part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice.
"This investigation demonstrates how local, state and federal partners work together to identify offenders, locate victims, and hold those responsible accountable," said Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young. "Our Human Trafficking Task Force continues to work aggressively to identify both victims and suspects in cases involving the exploitation of children."