A woman admitted guilt in a disturbing case of child sexual abuse after authorities found disturbing videos at her residence, including instances of bestiality. Detectives were alerted in July by the Ohio Crimes Against Children Task Force about potential child abuse at the home of Shawna Mayfield, 28, and Justin Mayfield, 37. A subsequent search revealed that Shawna possessed and distributed child sexual abuse materials. The evidence against the couple includes footage of Shawna sexually assaulting a four-year-old child and the Mayfields coercing another child into inappropriate behavior. Text messages between them revealed they traded videos of child abuse, and additional video footage depicted Shawna engaging in a sexual act with the family dog in May 2025.
Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Gabe Wildman stated that videos were found of Shawna engaging in sexual acts with a dog and that the Mayfields were cultivating marijuana beyond legal limits on their property. Shawna Mayfield pleaded guilty on January 7 to multiple charges, including pandering sexually explicit material involving a minor, rape, sexual conduct with an animal, and endangering children. As part of the plea deal, she agreed to cooperate with authorities and testify against her husband in exchange for a recommended prison sentence of 30 years to life.
Shawna Mayfield, with no prior criminal record, disclosed her testimony details. Failure to cooperate would void the agreement, leading to potential conviction on all charges. The rape charges against her spanned from June 2023 to August 2025, carrying a penalty of 10 years to life in prison per count, while the sexual conduct with an animal charge is a second-degree misdemeanor with a potential jail term of up to 90 days.
Justin Mayfield faces several rape charges, dissemination of harmful material to minors, and endangering children counts. Prosecutors offered him a 50-year to life sentence in a plea deal, which his attorney is negotiating. Attorney Brendan Keating argued for a sentence comparable to Shawna’s, given her more extensive charges. Justin Mayfield is set to appear in court on January 12, with his trial expected to commence later in the month.