Springs-area man sentenced for kidnapping toddler, making child pornography

A southern Colorado man who was convicted of kidnapping a toddler and making child pornography in California will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Shawn McCormack, 31, was found guilty of four counts of sexual exploitation of a child and two counts of kidnapping back in April. He was sentenced to life in prison on October 13, 2015.

Investigators said the crimes happened during several trips to Bakersfield during which McCormack stayed with friends. They said that during several of the overnight stays, in the middle of the night, McCormack snuck the couple’s toddler out of the house and recorded his sexual abuse of the toddler in a nearby motel, outdoors and in his truck.

Police said McCormack distributed the images and videos to others online, including an undercover officer with the Toronto Police Services.

Homeland Security Investigations agents in Boston said they found images and recordings distributed by McCormack on a separate defendant’s computer in Massachusetts.

The agents were able to identify the date, time and hotel room where one of the videos had been produced. When agents visited that hotel, they learned that McCormack had rented that hotel room on the night when the recording was created.

During the investigation, agents uncovered evidence that McCormack had recorded his abuse of both of the couple’s children.