U.S. Attorney Natalie K. Wight | U.S. Department of Justice
A former police officer from Pendleton, Oregon, Cameron Jacob Sheoships, has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for possessing child pornography on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. This sentencing comes after Sheoships' guilty plea, which included a pattern enhancement due to his repeated sexual abuse of a minor starting in the 1990s.
Court documents reveal that in August 2022, the FBI received a tip regarding suspected child pornography linked to the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Eastern Oregon. By mid-September 2022, further tips connected Google and Twitter accounts to Sheoships, who is a former tribal police officer. In May 2023, federal search warrants were executed at Sheoships’ residence and person, leading to the discovery of numerous photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse on his cellphone.
On June 13, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted Sheoships for possessing child pornography. He pleaded guilty to this charge on April 24, 2024.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and prosecuted by Cassady A. Adams, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Individuals with information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Justice Department in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.