A Wilmington man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for child pornography offenses. Sheldon Lee, 65, was convicted on December 20 of 25 counts of Dealing in Child Pornography and 25 counts of Sex Offender Unlawful Sexual Conduct Against a Child. His sentence includes a suspended 325-year term that could be enforced if he violates the conditions of his sentence.
This case marks the first application of an updated statute sponsored by Rep. Valerie Longhurst and Sen. Nicole Poore, which was passed unanimously in 2022. The legislation addressed a "partial nudity" loophole in Delaware's child sexual abuse material (CSAM) laws. Previously, possession of non-nude images of children was not prosecutable. House Bill 428 redefined this to include images depicting partial child nudity as a Class D Felony under the state's CSAM statute.
“These cases are difficult to talk about, but we have to confront them. Our kids’ safety is non-negotiable,” stated Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “I’m grateful to the prosecutors and police who investigated and convicted the defendant and who have now secured this sentence. I’m every bit as grateful to the legislators who worked with us to close loopholes in State law that enabled predators and endangered kids. This common-sense legislation is already making an impact for our community.”
In August 2022, the Delaware Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) discovered that Lee, then classified as a Tier II Sex Offender, was uploading child erotica to his Dropbox account while on Level III probation for previous convictions related to Dealing in Child Pornography. Upon his arrest on February 23, 2023, authorities found more than 114,600 images of CSAM in his possession. Following these convictions, Lee must now register as a Tier III sex offender.