Owensboro, KY– On April 20, 2022, a Hancock County Kentucky woman was sentenced to 20 years in prison for multiple child pornography offenses. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, Shasta Maria Coiles, 40, of Lewisport, Kentucky, was sentenced for committing three counts of production of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography, and one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor. Coiles committed these offenses in March of 2020 and was arrested that month by Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In addition to the prison sentence, Coiles was placed on supervised release for her lifetime.
“I commend the work of the FBI agents who investigated the case and AUSA Hancock for his handling of the prosecution,” stated United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett. “The production, distribution, and transfer of child pornography merit the 20-year sentenced imposed. Upon release from prison, the defendant will be under the close supervision of federal probation officers for the remainder of her life. This office, in partnership with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, will continue to work diligently to identify and prosecute those who sexually exploit children.”
“Coiles’ significant sentence will not undo the harm and pain her actions have caused innocent children and their families, but we hope it will serve as a wake-up call to those who think they can hide behind the anonymity of the internet,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI’s Louisville Field Office. “Uncovering those who exploit this most vulnerable population will always be a major focus of the FBI and our law enforcement partners.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Louisville Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Seth Hancock, Branch Chief of the Paducah U.S. Attorney’s Office, prosecuted the case.
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This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”