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Last updated on Friday, May 12, 2017
(KOKOMO) - A Kokomo man charged in a child pornography case reached a plea deal with prosecutors.
Under the terms of the agreement, Elliot Shoffner pleaded guilty to distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In exchange, a felony charge of child molesting was dropped. He'll serve 15 years in prison as part of the plea agreement.
Once released, he'll have to register as a sex offender and will have his contact with minors restricted. He must undergo treatment and will have his internet access monitored.
The agreement also said he'll have to pay $3,000 to each minor in the material he distributed if such a victim can be identified. The money would go to counseling, support, treatment or other services as required.
In February, the FBI raided Shoffner's home in Kokomo, where they seized a cellphone, USB drive and laptop filled with videos and photos of child pornography.
The investigation began after Shoffner contacted a person through Kik, a mobile instant-messaging service, and said he'd been sexually active with a 5-year-old girl.
Officers found a police report from 2015 in which Shoffner was accused of molesting a then-4-year-old girl. No charges were filed in the case.
According to court documents, he later sent images and videos of children engaging in sexually explicit behavior via the Kik messaging service. The person he was corresponding with turned out to be an undercover federal officer.
During a Feb. 8 conversation, Shoffner indicated he would have access to the girl and would try to photograph her and have sexual contact with her. Two days later, federal investigators served a search warrant at his home on Judson Road.
That's when investigators found the cellphone, USB drive and laptop containing child pornography. Shoffner was taken to the Howard County Jail and later admitted he'd sent the objectionable material, according to court documents.
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