Former Georgia Substitute Teacher Convicted Of Child Porn

GAINESVILLE, GA -- A former north Georgia substitute teacher has been sentenced to two years in prison and 10 years of supervised release after being convicted of possessing child pornography. Ernest Leander Shaw taught at various schools throughout Hall County.

Federal prosecutors said the Jackson County sheriff's office got a tip in May 2018 that Shaw had an electronic device that contained child pornography. Shaw later admitted to authorities the images belonged to him. The Jackson County sheriff’s office eventually found hundreds of images and videos of child pornography on various electronic devices in Shaw’s residence.

Shaw's first two years of supervised release will be served on home confinement.

“Child pornography is abuse of society’s most vulnerable population—young children,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Children trust that adults and those in leadership positions will be their protector. Shaw chose to betray that trust.”

“There is no sentence that can ever make the victims of child pornography whole again,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “It is even more disheartening when a person entrusted to protect children, our most vulnerable citizens, is the person who promotes this abuse. We can only hope that Shaw's sentence will discourage others from this depraved behavior.”

“It is my hope that Shaw is monitored to the fullest extent and can never have access to children again, as he had access here in Jackson County in our schools. He committed horrendous acts when he possessed child pornography for his gratification and then had access to our children here in Jackson County,” said Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum.