INDIANAPOLIS — A man, who was arrested 14 years after he fled the country to avoid arrest, was sentenced this month to more than 11 years in federal prison.
Larry Shaw, 49, of Indianapolis, was sentenced for the charge of possession of child abuse materials.
Documents say in 2007, Indiana State police began an investigation into child abuse materials being traded on a peer-to-peer network that allowed users to share files across the internet without using a central server.
The investigation led authorities to Larry Shaw, among others.
In March of that year, police searched Shaw's home and found 177 video files showing violent and sexually explicit child abuse.
A few months later he met with federal prosecutors and his legal counsel to discuss a pre-indictment resolution of the case. Shaw asked if he could think about it and a few days later he fled the country.
On May 5 or 6, 2007, Shaw fled the United States on an AirChina flight to Beijing. He remained on the run for 14 years until his arrest in October of 2021, when he was arrested trying to reenter the U.S. in Chicago.
“Not only did Mr. Shaw trade abhorrent images and videos of children being sexually violated and tortured, but he also sought to evade the consequences of his actions for over 14 years,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “The successful arrest and prosecution of this defendant demonstrates that our office, HSI, and IMPD will work to bring criminals to justice no matter how long it takes. The serious sentence imposed today demonstrates that those who seek gratification from the horrific abuse of the most vulnerable will be held accountable.”
Shaw was sentenced to 135 months in prison followed by 10 years probation. He will also have to register as a sex offender.
