Repeat Sex Offender Shane Kirkby Arrested Again on Shocking New Child Exploitation Charges
By Chris O’Neil | Trash Media Group
A Watertown man with a long and disturbing criminal record has once again been arrested—this time on a sweeping array of child sexual exploitation charges. Shane Lee Kirkby, 43, is now facing seven new felony charges, following a months-long investigation into illegal surveillance and possession of child sexual abuse material.
The latest investigation began on March 17, 2024, when Watertown police responded to a tip alleging Kirkby had used hidden cameras to record people without their knowledge or consent. A search warrant, signed by Judge Neddo and executed by the Watertown Police Department’s Special Response Team with assistance from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, reportedly uncovered evidence that prompted a grand jury indictment.
On May 1, 2025, Kirkby was arrested and charged with:
Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance (Class C felony)
Promoting an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child (Class D felony)
Obscenity in the First Degree (Class D felony)
Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child (Class D felony)
Possessing an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child (Class E felony)
Unlawful Surveillance in the Second Degree (Class E felony)
Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child (Class E felony)
He was arraigned in Jefferson County Court and remanded to jail on $10,000 bail.
This is far from Kirkby’s first brush with the law.
In February 2025, Kirkby was arrested by New York State Police in connection with a brutal assault that occurred in November 2023 in the town of Rutland. He was charged with first- and second-degree assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and menacing. A search of his devices during that case uncovered additional illegal surveillance materials and led to further obscenity charges.
Perhaps most chilling is Kirkby’s long-established history as a convicted sex offender. In 2000, he was convicted of sodomy involving a 3-year-old male victim—a crime for which he served 16 years in prison. He is currently listed as a Level 3 sexually violent offender in New York State, the highest risk category for recidivism.
Public records and offender registries show a deeply troubling pattern of escalating violence and sexual abuse, with Kirkby now facing yet another round of charges that could keep him behind bars for years—if not decades.
The case has sparked renewed scrutiny of how high-risk offenders like Kirkby are monitored after release. Advocates are calling for stronger oversight and more aggressive enforcement of sex offender restrictions.
Anyone with further information about this case is encouraged to contact the Watertown Police Department @ 315-782-2233
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