63-year-old sentenced for producing child porn
Bandera resident Michael Dewayne Sheeds was sentenced by a federal judge to 50 years in federal prison for the production and possession of child pornography and ordered to pay $100,000 in restitution to both victims as well as $10,000 in assessments per the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Sheeds, who spent 32 years a truck driver, was arrested in Laredo on January 7, 2019, on an arrest warrant from the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office for sexxually assaulting an underage girl.
He was booked in the Bandera County Jail, where he has remained since.
A Samsung Galaxy phone was seized from him, and forensic data extraction showed it contained images and videos depicting the sexual assault of children, including child abuse images and videos Sheeds produced, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
On January 6, 2020, Sheeds pled guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of posession of child pornography.
Sheeds had received numerous awards and honors as an experienced trucker.
He was chosen as an honoree for the TravelCenters of America/Petro Stopping Centers Citizen Driver award in 2015 and the Pilot Flying J Road Warrior award for 2017, and he was named to the American Trucking Association’s America’s Road Team for 2017-18.
The TravelCenters of America/Petro website no longer lists Sheeds as a Citizen Driver honoree. He also was removed from Pilot’s list of Road Warrior winners.
The investigation was initiated by the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office and proceeded as a joint investigation with the San Antonio FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case.
“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message to those who would harm the children of our community,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs said.
“For years, the defendant in this case committed despicable and heinous acts, Combs said. “Thanks to the exemplary efforts of the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office, he will finally be held accountable for his actions.”