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From staff reports
ATHENS, Ohio -- A Morgan County, Ohio, man has been charged in an ongoing child pornography investigation in Athens County.
John Creighton Shaw, 27, of Malta was arrested Saturday on four second-degree felony counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person, according to a release from the Athens County Prosecutor's Office. Two third-degree felony counts of tampering with evidence were filed Monday.
Shaw was arraigned by video Monday by Assigned Athens County Municipal Court Judge William Grim, with bond set at $75,000, with no 10 percent allowed, the release says.
Shaw came to the attention of the Athens County Prosecutor's Office through information collected from the cell phone of Richard Lee "Dick" Adams, a 74-year-old Athens resident being held in the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail on a $1 million bond. Adams was indicted July 8 on one count of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person and 31 counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person, all second-degree felonies.
Shaw is the second person charged as a result of the investigation into Adams. Joshua C. Copeland, 37, of Guysville, Ohio, was indicted July 18 on seven second-degree felony counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material or performance, three counts of second-degree felony pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and one third-degree felony count of having weapons while under disability.
Copeland, incarcerated at the regional jail, is scheduled to appear Wednesday before Athens County Common Pleas Court Judge Patrick J. Lang.
"Chief Investigator Jay Barrett and other members of the Athens County Prosecutor's Office worked throughout the weekend with Morgan County and Athens County Sheriff's Offices to gather additional information and conduct additional search warrants at Shaw's address as well as additional search warrants at Adams' residence," Athens County Prosecutor Keller J. Blackburn said. "Officers located additional items at Adams' residence, which will be sent out for analysis. Investigation will continue and additional charges may be filed."
The Muskingum County Sheriff's Office and Athens County Children Services assisted with the case, based on information received from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.