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Beech Grove Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Child Sexual Abuse Material

Shane Austin Leaneagh, 37, was sentenced to 17 years and one month in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 20, 2026, 4:40 p.m. ET
Developing · checked 3h ago

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We last searched for new coverage of this at Aug 20, 2026, 2:39 p.m. ET — checked 3h ago.

Shane Austin Leaneagh, 37, of Beech Grove, was on August 20, 2026, to 17 years and one month in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana. He pleaded guilty to possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material and was ordered to pay $34,000 in restitution. Court documents state that beginning on August 6, 2023, Leaneagh distributed images and videos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct using seven different accounts on the social media application Kik. On January 10, 2024, officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Beech Grove Police Department executed search warrants for Leaneagh and his home, locating electronic devices that revealed more than 600 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of numerous children, including infants and children under the age of twelve. Leaneagh had prior convictions, including a 2022 conviction for possession of child sexual abuse material in Monroe County, Indiana, and an April 2022 conviction for intimidation in Jackson County, Indiana. The sentence was imposed by Chief District Judge James R. Sweeney II. The FBI Indianapolis and U.S. Secret Service investigated the case, with assistance from IMPD. U.S. Attorney Tom Wheeler and FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O'Malley condemned the crimes, and the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood.

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  1. Version 120 Aug 2026, 20:40current

    First published.

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