News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, April 7, 2025

Life Sentence Received for Child Rapist

On February 10, 2025, Shawn Powell, 34, pleaded guilty to rape and pandering obscenity involving a minor. These charges resulted from Powell sexually abusing a 5-year-old child.

At his sentencing, Judge Gerald Anderson imposed a life sentence in prison on Powell.

Powell originally faced life without parole for his crimes but as part of a negotiated plea, Powell agreed to a life sentence which requires he serves 18 years before asking the parole board to be released. Whether Powell is ever released is up to the parole board.

Prosecutor Ron Welch explained that plea negotiations in these types of cases are always difficult.

“The penalty in these cases is never enough no matter how long the sentence. The sentence does not undo the harm to the victim. Many times, we are trying to balance the well-being of the victim with the punishment. In this case, there was a very young victim that would have suffered additional trauma by having to testify in court about the terrible things done by the defendant. It was decided that this outcome which resulted in a significant punishment without subjecting the child victim to any further trauma was the best path forward.”



Details of the Crime:

On November 10, 2024, law enforcement became aware of the case through a call about a domestic dispute related to Powell. During the course of that investigation, it was disclosed that Powell inappropriately touched a 5-year-old.

A family member of the victim confronted Powell about the sexual abuse allegations. Powell became upset, and that family member advised Powell that he needed to leave the house. As he left the house, Shawn Powell addressed the 5-year-old victim, calling the child a “snitch.”

Officers began uncovering the facts about Powell’s crimes during the follow-up investigation. A family member showed officers messages from Powell on Facebook Messenger. Powell admitted to molesting the child in the messages. During the investigation, a witness reported to the Zanesville Police that she saw nude photos of a child on Powell's phone.

The authorities immediately arrested Shawn Powell after the witness made the report. Detectives then confirmed that Powell had three nude photos of the child victim on his phone.

Family members had believed Powell to be a person they could trust. Powell preyed on that trust.

In February, Powell pleaded guilty to one count of rape and one count of pandering obscenity involving a minor.

He returned to court on March 31st, 2025, after a pre-sentence investigation was complete, to receive his sentence.

Powell stood before Judge Gerald Anderson. He answered the judge’s questions with casual shrugs of his hands and shoulders. Judge Anderson highlighted Powell’s failure to take responsibility for taking the child’s innocence.

Judge Anderson shared parts of a letter he received from a victim’s family member. The letter pointed out the emotional distress the child victim has faced due to Powell’s actions. The family member reported that the victim can't hug their father now. The letter also described that the child had to throw away clothes and a favorite blanket because those items were too painful to keep.

The victim’s family played an important role in the plea negotiations. The goal of all parties involved in this case was to prevent further damage to the child victim.

If authorities ever release Powell, he will have to register as a Tier 3 sex offender every 90 days for life.

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