Perry County man sentenced to 40 years in prison for sexually exploiting 4 minors

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Shannon "Michael" McTighe, 46, formerly of Thornville, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 480 months in prison for sexually exploiting at least four minor victims.

"McTighe committed horrific hands-on offenses against four young girls and amassed hundreds of thousands of videos and images of child sexual abuse," said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. "Putting this defendant in federal prison for the next 40 years protects these victims from further abuse and online exploitation."

According to court documents, McTighe possessed 300,000 images and videos of child pornography on his electronic devices. The content also included newly created material which depicted McTighe sexually abusing four minor victims to whom he had access. The abuse of one victim began when she was 7 years old.

McTighe was arrested by FBI agents in Canton, Ohio, on June 12, 2025. At the time of his arrest, agents recovered numerous digital media devices and three pairs of female juvenile underwear in a safe in McTighe's residence. His cell phone history included terms like underage, jailbait girls and extremely young.

McTighe pleaded guilty in February 2026 to sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

This case is 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 U.S. Attorney's Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

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