A Port Arthur woman has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Sasha Sheree Abshire, aged 36, pleaded guilty to the production of child pornography and received a sentence of 360 months from U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale on June 24, 2025.
Court information revealed that in July 2024, law enforcement learned about sexually explicit photos of a pre-school age child being distributed online by someone using a screen name linked to Abshire. She sent images of child pornography from her cell phone, which was traced back to her residence in Port Arthur. Some images showed an adult woman's face, later identified as Abshire through her social media accounts. Federal agents arrested her at her home and confirmed she produced the illicit content.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. It involves United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), working with federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute offenders while rescuing victims. More information about this initiative can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Port Arthur Police Department, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.
