20-year-old Picayune man charged with creating, distributing, and downloading child pornography
A 20 year old Picayune man was taken into custody on multiple charges of child pornography according to Picayune Police Captain Dustin Moeller and a press release from the Attorney General’s office.
On Thursday, December 27, 2018, at approximately 2:00 p.m., Picayune Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) met with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Through an investigation with the Attorney General’s Office (AG) , it was learned that child pornography was being sent from the address of 1405 Bender Street, Picayune, by a suspect identified as Shyheam Griffin, age 20, of the same address.
The Picayune Police Department CID and the AG’s office conducted surveillance and a search warrant was obtained for the residence and the electronics in the residence. Upon arrival at the residence, the joint team of the CID and AG came in contact with Kaitlyn Herndon, age 22, of the same address, outside of the home. Authorities made entry to the residence and found three juveniles; a 1 year old girl and twin 2 year old boys. The children were living in deplorable conditions inside the home according to Captain Moeller.
Shyheam Griffin and Kaitlyn Herndon
Authorities interviewed Griffin and subsequently charged him with three counts of child exploitation—Possession of Child Pornography, Production of Child Pornography, Distribution of Child Pornography, and two counts of Child Molestation. The Department of Human Services (DHS) was notified and when they examined the situation, DHS determined the children needed to be removed and DHS took temporary custody of the three children.
Herndon was taken into custody and transported to the Criminal Investigation Division office to continue her interview with authorities. After the interview was concluded, she was arrested and charged with three counts of Child Neglect. Griffin was also charged with three counts of Child Neglect. Both were transported to the Criminal Justice Center where they were both booked and incarcerated.
Assisting agencies included the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office and Picayune Police Department, which are both affiliate agencies of the Mississippi ICAC Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Mississippi Department of Human Services, Picayune Housing Authority, McKinney, TX Police Department, and Collin County, TX District Attorney’s Office.
This case was investigated by Attorney General agent Eric Rather and will be prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Brandon Ogburn, both with the AG’s Cybercrime Division.
If convicted on the exploitation and molestation charges, Griffin faces up to 180 years in prison. The misdemeanor child neglect charges will be prosecuted by the district attorney. A charge is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
