Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Orest Shaynyuk, a 33-year-old resident of Sacramento, has been sentenced to 19 years and seven months in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The sentence was handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez, according to an announcement from United States Attorney Eric Grant.
Court documents show that Shaynyuk had previously been convicted of possessing CSAM in 2013. After serving his initial sentence and while on supervised release, his probation officer discovered he was again in possession of an iPhone containing CSAM. At the same time, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was investigating a tip from an online communications platform indicating that Shaynyuk was trafficking in CSAM. Forensic analysis confirmed that he distributed such material to other users.
“This sentence reflects the gravity of the defendant’s repeated crimes and the lasting harm caused to the most vulnerable members of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “When individuals continue to exploit children despite prior convictions, they demonstrate a clear danger to the public. Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue repeat offenders and ensure they are held fully accountable under the law.”
FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel commented on the coordinated effort: “This case reflects the strength of coordinated law enforcement efforts focused on protecting children. Working alongside our local, state, and federal partners, investigators disrupted criminal activity tied to the sexual exploitation of minors. The 235-month federal prison sentence underscores the FBI’s relentless pursuit of offenders who harm children and threaten the safety of our communities.”
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Probation Office, and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted this case.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating resources among federal, state, and local authorities. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc.
