Jason M. Frierson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada
After a one-day bench trial, Leonard Shove, a Las Vegas resident, was found guilty of receiving and possessing child pornography. The verdict was delivered on Monday, and Shove now faces a minimum of 15 years in federal custody.
Court documents revealed that on June 12, 2023, Shove was discovered with a cell phone containing images and videos classified as child pornography. At the time of the offense, he was under federal supervised release. During a search by the U.S. Probation Office, the cellular device was found in his backpack. The FBI then took over possession of the device for further investigation.
The trial took place on June 16, 2025, presided over by United States District Judge Cristina D. Silva. Shove's prior convictions related to similar offenses contributed to his current charges.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 22, 2025. Given his conduct and previous convictions, Shove faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and could receive up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will decide the final sentence based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The announcement came from United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafik Mattar for the FBI Las Vegas Division.
The case involved an investigation by the FBI with support from the U.S. Probation Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Jean Ripley and Daniel Schiess prosecuted it after initial indictment by Trial Attorney Supriya Prasad.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project aims to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals exploiting children via the internet while also identifying victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood or to report information regarding child exploitation online or physically, individuals are encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.
