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LISBON -- A St. Clair Township man with a collection of more than 10,000 photos and videos depicting children as young as toddlers involved in sexual acts was sentenced to 51 and a half years in prison by Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam on Thursday.
Shawn Patrick Kempvanee, 38, Annesley Road, appeared for sentencing on charges of compelling prostitution, a third-degree felony; attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fourth-degree felony; and 50 counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, each a fourth-degree felony.
Assistant County Prosecutor Steve Yacovone asked for a 20-year prison sentence for Kempvanee and requested a dismissal for the other charges Kempvanee did not plead guilty. Kempvanee additionally had been charged with prostitution, possessing criminal tools and 25 additional counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person.
While some people may question the work of the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, Yacovone said it was the work of that organization, which emphasizes demand reduction, that led to the discovery of Kempvanee's extensive collection of child pornography.
Kempvanee had responded to an advertisement and believed he was speaking to an adult woman, who was offering herself for sex along with her 14-year-old daughter. Kempvanee arrived at a location to meet them carrying the $200 he had offered for sexual activities. During an interview with MVHTTF agents at the East Palestine police department, Kempvanee admitted to receiving images of child pornography, which he said he would then erase.
However, when agents searched his phone and got a warrant for his trailer they discovered 1,000's and 1,000's of images. Yacovone said there were photos and videos of toddlers, pre-teens and children, many involved in sexual acts with adult men.
"What we have here is a prime example of why you need to have the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force," said Yacovone. "He is the perpetrator we are looking for… In my years of handling sex offense cases, I have probably handled 50, none were as disturbing as these."
Yacovone said Kempvanee's extensive collection may not have been discovered had he not answered that advertisement and represented a lot of time for him to collect the images, not just a single action. For that reason, Yacovone had requested consecutive sentences adding up to 20 years.
"This is necessary not only to punish this defendant for his disgusting conduct, but to protect the public, including those children, from future harm."
Defense attorney Charley Kidder asked for a lesser sentencing, noting that Kempvanee has no prior criminal record and giving him some prison time while getting him some counseling or treatment may be the most important thing that can be done to help him and protect the public in the future.
Kempvanee said he knows what he did was wrong and is grateful to the police officers who arrested him that day. He said he had decided to cooperate with them in order to get some help for his behavior.
"I don't think anyone here wants to be one of the most hater persons or type of persons in the world," Kempvanee said, adding he had tried stopping and considered getting help in the past, but was afraid if he admitted to what he was doing he would be arrested.
"This is the worst thing that I've ever done," Kempvanee said.
However, Washam disagreed that making arrangements with the agents for sex with a minor was the worst thing that Kempvanee had done. Washam said when he looked at the evidence, it showed some of those pictures and videos depicted three young girls, whose family Kempvanee had been staying with in another state in 2018.
While Kempvanee adamantly shook his head no, Washam said the videos appeared to show Kempvanee had sexually abused those children and then pedaled the videos he had made on the internet so he could trade them with others to add to his collection.
Washam sentenced Kempvanee to 18 months in prison for the charges of compelling prostitution and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, the two charges that stemmed from him being caught by the MVHTTF agents. Washam then sentenced him to a year for each of the 50 pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person charges and ran those 50 years consecutive to the 18 months. Additionally, if he is released he will be required to register his address as a Tier II sexual offender, which means registering his address every six months for 25 years.
"This is exactly why we do it," said Dan Haueter, one of the agents with the MVHTTF responsible for Kempvanee's arrest after the sentencing hearing. "For cases like this."
djohnson@mojonews.com