Man posed as kid on TikTok to ask 9-year-old for ‘sexy’ photos in OR, feds say

A 44-year-old man is going to prison after being convicted of asking a 9-year-old for sexually explicit photos in Oregon, federal officials said.

In 2020, Shawn Alan Smith, a registered sex offender from Portland, used multiple fake personas online to message with a girl on KIK and TikTok, according to a May 6 news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

While posing as a minor, Smith told the girl to take photos of her “whole body” and to make them “real sexy,” officials said.

Smith also posed as a minor’s dad and video chatted with the girl, officials said.

He asked her to move the phone farther away from her so he could see her whole body and attempted to plan another call before the girl hung up, officials said.

In 2022, officials went to execute a search warrant at Smith’s apartment and saw the door was barricaded as he attempted to throw his phone and computer out of the bathroom window, officials said.

McClatchy News reached out to Smith’s lawyer for a statement on May 7 and was awaiting a response.

On Jan. 21, he pleaded guilty to online enticement of a minor and receipt of child pornography, prosecutors said.

He was sentenced to 24 years in prison with a life term of supervised release and must pay restitution to the victim, officials said.

This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 9:54 AM with the headline "Man posed as kid on TikTok to ask 9-year-old for ‘sexy’ photos in OR, feds say."