CINCINNATI (WXIX/Gray News) - An Ohio man is being held on a $1.9 million bond as he faces nearly 20 child sex abuse and porn charges.
Warning: Details of the case might be disturbing to some.
Robert Shepard, 50, of Cleves, made a court appearance on Wednesday.
He faces one count of illegal use of a minor or impaired person in a nudity-oriented material or performance, and eighteen counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor.
On April 7, the Hamilton County prosecutor's office said the sheriff's office got a cybertip that resulted in a search warrant for devices in Shepard's possession.
The Hamilton County prosecutor handling the case says what investigators found "is just about the worst of the worst you can imagine."
Shepard told investigators, according to the prosecutor, he only had child sex abuse material on one phone, but more abuse content was found when they discovered additional phones.
"These are the worst that I've encountered as far as videos and images go," the prosecutor described Wednesday in court. "They are babies, and those are mostly the ones that are contained, not in the complaints. Though the ones in the complaints are just as awful."
Shepard was arrested on Nov. 10, according to prosecutors.
After his arrest, two more child victims came forward, prosecutors explained.
"The defendant has acted upon these urges," the prosecutor explained to the judge. "There are two investigations that I'm aware of where victims in our community, children in our community, have reported the defendant since he was arrested. And just to be clear, babies and children in these videos and images that are in the indictment are real victims, known victims, and that's why they are flagged in the first place."
When it came time for Judge Patrick Dinkelacker to address Shepard, he said he would withhold commenting, but described the 50-year-old as "a threat to the safety of this community."
Judge Dinkelacker issued a $100,000 bond for each of the 19 charges against Shepard, for a total bond of $1.9 million.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich was pleased with the high bond issued, calling Shepard "a menace to society."
When talking after Wednesday’s hearing, the county prosecutor said Shepard could have even more victims who have not come forward.
“We suspect there are other victims in this case, and we’d like to alert the community to check on where their children have been and whose care they have been and make sure they have not been harmed in any way,” Prosecutor Pillich said.