GRAHAMSVILLE, NY — A 32-year-old man faces multiple child sexual exploitation charges following a months-long investigation that began with a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Shawn W. Edwards, of Grahamsville, was arrested without incident on May 8 after state police executed a search warrant at his residence.
Edwards is charged with four counts of promote an obscene sexual performance by a child less than 17 years of age, a class D felony; disseminating indecent material to a minor 2nd degree, computer communication, a class E felony; and falsely report fire explosion or hazardous substance to official 2nd degree, a class E felony.
The investigation began in October following a CyberTip received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Edwards is accused of disseminating sexually explicit materials to a minor and, on other occasions, promoting such material.
He is also accused of falsely reporting a crime that did not occur.
Following his arrest, Edwards was transported to the State Police Liberty barracks.
He was arraigned at the Town of Liberty Court and remanded to the Sullivan County Jail.
Bail was set at $10,000 cash, $20,000 bond, and $40,000 partially secured bond.
Edwards is scheduled to appear in the Town of Neversink Court on May 18.
The arrest was made by the New York State Police Troop F Computer Crimes Unit in collaboration with the Troop F Child Abuse Unit, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, and the New York State Police at Liberty and New York State Police Electronic Detection K9.
The Troop F Computer Crimes Unit was assisted by the New York State Police Special Operations Response Team, Troop F Community Stabilization Unit, and the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation at Liberty.
