LAKE CITY, Fla. — A Columbia County man was sentenced to more than 176 years in prison after being convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office announced.
Steven Paul Shaffer, 55, was sentenced Monday, June 22, by Judge Mark Feagle following a jury trial in which he was found guilty on all counts.
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The investigation began in August 2023 when Columbia County Sheriff’s Office detectives assigned to the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, developed Shaffer as a suspect in a Lake City-based case stemming from a CyberTip line report.
Detectives executed multiple search warrants and device examinations, recovering more than 10 still images and videos of child sexual abuse material, authorities said.
Shaffer was arrested Dec. 5, 2024, and booked into the Columbia County Detention Facility on charges of using a two-way communication device to commit a felony and possession, control or viewing of child pornography.
Both are third-degree felonies. He was held without bond.
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Following his conviction at a jury trial, Feagle sentenced Shaffer to 15 years in prison for each count of possession of child pornography and 143 months for unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Because the sentences were ordered to run consecutively, Shaffer’s total sentence amounts to more than 176 years, according to the sheriff’s office.
“This sentence sends an unequivocal message: those who exploit and endanger children will be found, prosecuted, and held fully accountable under the law,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The office said it remains committed to working with the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to identify offenders, calling the protection of children from sexual exploitation one of its highest priorities.
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