A Mobile neurosurgeon is behind bars, accused of possessing and producing child sexual abuse material. Investigators arrested Dr. Shawn Clark after he left his Fairhope home Thursday morning. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office says the 59-year-old had been under investigation since March, after receiving a cyber tip. The pedophile is charged with five counts of unlawful possession of child pornography and five counts of unlawful production of child pornography.
“Most of the times, these perpetrators are sharing it amongst themselves, and they’re sending it to other individuals,” said Capt. Mark Bailey. “It’s almost like a club that these perpetrators are in.”
Investigators say the cyber tip involved IP addresses connected to Clark’s home and his medical office on Airport Boulevard in Mobile. Captain Mark Bailey says investigators found child sexual abuse material depicting girls around 13 years old. He says the depraved white brute is accused of taking images and videos he received, editing them and producing new material. Bailey says Grok, an artificial intelligence platform, was among the platforms involved in the investigation.
“There’s AI images, photographs, videos as well as real images, photographs and videos,” said Bailey.
The 2024 Alabama Child Protection Act law allows prosecutors to pursue charges involving AI-generated child sexual abuse material if it is virtually indistinguishable from a real child. Bailey says online platforms are required by federal law to report suspected child sexual abuse material to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which then sends the tips to the appropriate law enforcement agency. He says the investigation took about five months and involved multiple search warrants. Investigators searched Clark’s home and office Thursday and say they found additional evidence.
“We did find some new material, so can’t go much into that,” said Bailey. “We did find some new evidence.”
Bailey anticipates additional state charges and possible federal charges. Clark’s bond hearing is scheduled for Friday morning. The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners could also take disciplinary action against his medical license before the criminal case is resolved. Its next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 17.
Source: https://mynbc15.com/news/local/mobile-neurosurgeon-charged-with-child-pornography-related-offenses
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