Source: United States Department of Justice News
Davenport, IA – A Davenport man, Juan Dontae Shelton, age 39, was sentenced on Monday, January 23, 2023, to 330 months in federal prison for production of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and felon in possession of a firearm. Shelton was found guilty of these offenses following jury trials on August 8th and August 15th, 2022. Following his prison term, Shelton was ordered to serve a seven-year term of supervised release.
According to trial testimony, multiple witness identified Shelton’s vehicle as involved in a June 1, 2021 hit-and-run accident in Davenport. One witness told law enforcement that Shelton was arguing with passengers in the car when he got out and retrieved a rifle and body armor from the trunk. Shelton then got back into the vehicle and left the scene. Officers soon found Shelton’s vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. Officers searched the vehicle and found three firearms, one of which was stolen, and methamphetamine and marijuana, all belonging to Shelton. Shelton’s fingerprints were found on the rifle and on the magazine of one of the other firearms. Upon further investigation, Shelton was found to be in possession of multiple child pornography videos on his phone in which he had recorded himself and a minor victim engaged in sexual acts.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport, Iowa Police Department’s Tactical Operations Bureau investigated the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.