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BELLEFONTE -- A Centre County woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to the production and possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Shannon M. Ishler, 45, of Bellefonte, was indicted on charges of production of child pornography by a parent, legal guardian or person having custody or control of a minor, as well as possession of child pornography.
According to U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that between Jan. 1 and April 5, 2024, Ishler produced several images depicting the sexual exploitation of multiple toddlers who were in her care and distributed the images over the internet.
Federal prosecutors also allege that Ishler possessed visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The FBI Philadelphia's Capital Area Resident Agency and Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide U.S. Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The offenses carry a maximum penalty under federal law of 30 years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment and a fine. Any sentence would be determined by a federal judge after consideration of applicable sentencing laws and federal sentencing guidelines.
An indictment contains allegations and is not evidence of guilt. Ishler is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.