Connersville Photographer Charged with Federal Child Exploitation Crimes – WRBI Radio

(Connersville, IN) – A Connersville photographer is going through a number of federal youngster intercourse crime prices after he allegedly used his enterprise to inappropriately contact and take nude pictures of youngsters.

He’s been charged with three counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child and one depend of Possession of Child Pornography.

Investigators categorized the case as a “priority one” investigation, indicating 22-year-old Mikell Shepard had entry to youngsters and possessed youngster intercourse abuse materials.

Shepard reportedly admitted to utilizing his pictures enterprise and social media platform Telegram to entry and {photograph} nude youngsters for sexual gratification.

According to the prison criticism, on October 23, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Indianapolis acquired a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The report included investigative findings submitted by Google, which recognized content material in Shepard’s account believed to depict sexually express photographs and movies of minor youngsters.

Google reviewed and flagged greater than 400 recordsdata allegedly exhibiting minors engaged in sexual acts, in addition to over 1,000 recordsdata depicting the lascivious exhibition of the genitals of minors.

On October 24, 2025, legislation enforcement executed a state search warrant at Shepard’s residence.  Investigators found sexually express photographs and movies of minors allegedly produced by Shepard in each skilled and private settings, together with whereas babysitting. These photographs reportedly embody each feminine and male youngsters, as younger as 9 months outdated. The photographs and movies date from as lately as October 2025, with some recordsdata from the summer time of 2024.

Publicly out there data lists Shepard because the proprietor of “Shepard Photography” and “Boudoir by Shepard.” His Facebook account advertises him as an expert photographer who “works well with families, children, and infants.”

He is at present in federal custody.

Investigators imagine there could also be extra victims.

If you imagine a baby could have been victimized by Mikell Shepard, please contact Fayette County/Connersville Police non-emergency dispatch at (765) 825-2111.