Connersville Photographer Faces Child Pornography Charges
CONNERSVILLE, — A Connersville resident and professional photographer, Mikell Shepard (age 22), has been charged by a federal complaint with multiple serious crimes, including three counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child and one count of Possession of Child Pornography.
Shepard, who owns both “Shepard Photography” and “Boudoir by Shepard,” was arrested following an investigation that began with a crucial tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
According to the criminal complaint filed today, the initial report to HSI Indianapolis was based on investigative findings submitted by Google. Google had reviewed and flagged over 1,400 files in Shepard’s account, including more than 400 images and videos believed to show minors engaged in sexual acts and over 1,000 files depicting the lascivious exhibition of minors’ genitals.
On October 24, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Shepard’s residence. Investigators allegedly discovered sexually explicit images and videos of minors produced by Shepard in both professional and personal settings.
The discovered evidence reportedly includes both female and male children, as young as 9 months old. The files are dated as recently as October 2025, with some content dating back to the summer of 2024.
Publicly available information shows Shepard advertised his work as a professional photographer who “works well with families, children, and infants.” Investigators have determined that Shepard is known to babysit several children and has photographed children at a daycare, skating rink, and a gymnastics center in or near Connersville.
Mikell Shepard was transported from the Fayette County Jail to federal custody, where he will remain for all necessary proceedings in this case.
Authorities strongly believe there may be additional victims in this case. The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, Indiana State Police, the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Connersville Police Department as part of Project Safe Childhood.
If you believe a child may have been victimized by Mikell Shepard, please contact the Fayette County/Connersville Police non-emergency dispatch immediately at (765) 825-2111.
An arrest is merely an accusation, and Shepard should be considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Should Shepard be convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
