A former orthodontist in Michigan who shuttered his practices in 2023 after he was arrested for child pornography has agreed to plead guilty to U.S. child exploitation charges, according to multiple news stories.
Dr. Thomas Shannon, 43, will have to forfeit his cell phone and boat to authorities as part of the plea agreement. Also, he will be required to register as a sex offender. Shannon faces 15 to 60 years in prison plus a fine of up to $250,000, according to the stories.
Shannon is expected to return to court later this month for a change of plea hearing.
Authorities began investigating Shannon, who previously operated Shannon Orthodontics in Grandville and Plainwell, MI, after a therapist reported that a 16-year-old had been sexually exploited on Snapchat. Investigating Snapchat and CashApp records, authorities identified Shannon as the minor’s perpetrator.
To prove that he did not possess child pornography, Shannon hired a private forensic examiner to review his phone. However, the examiner reportedly discovered child pornography on the phone and notified police.
Authorities reviewed Shannon's phone and Snapchat records and discovered additional minor victims, including a 12-year-old. Also, another victim who accused Shannon of instructing her to video chat with him while engaged in sexually explicit conduct came forward to police.
In 2023, Shannon was arrested on state charges of possessing child sexually abusive material and using computers to commit a crime. Authorities claimed that Shannon had been communicating and soliciting minors online for sexually explicit photos and videos since 2019. A few times, Shannon allegedly tried to meet up with those minors to have sex.
Since the U.S. charges encompassed all of the crimes Shannon was accused of committing, the state offenses were dropped.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
