GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Bryan James Shuping, 58, pleaded guilty in federal court in Gainesville to producing child pornography and possessing child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty plea.
“Protecting children from sexual predators like this defendant is one of my office’s highest priorities,” U.S. Attorney Heekin said. “We will continue to prosecute these offenses aggressively to ensure that he and others like him remain behind federal bars for as long as the law allows.”
Original arrest
Shuping was initially arrested at the Westgate Publix in September 2025 after customers reported seeing him photograph children.
At approximately 7 p.m. on September 4, 2025, a Gainesville Police Department officer went to the Westgate Publix at 3315 W. University Avenue following a report that an older white man was taking pictures of minors inside the store.
The officer found and identified the man as Shuping. He denied photographing minors and reportedly said he had been taking pictures of the area without realizing that it appeared he was photographing children. After reviewing the store’s surveillance video, the officer observed Shuping photographing an individual who appeared to be a white pubescent juvenile male with his legs raised. The images were taken from a low angle, suggesting the phone may have been positioned between the juvenile’s legs.
Shuping reportedly consented to a search of his phone. During that search, the officer found multiple nude images of pubescent juvenile males showing their genitals. Shuping was arrested and charged with 10 counts of possessing child pornography.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Shuping entered men’s public restrooms at Oaks Mall and Depot Park on multiple occasions between June 18, 2025, and August 2, 2025. He recorded minors while they were using the bathrooms, producing videos and images that showed their exposed genitals. Shuping admitted that he made the recordings for sexual gratification and possessed additional child pornography images downloaded from the internet.
Shuping’s listed address is in Trenton. However, a relative told police in 2024 that he no longer lived there and was believed to be homeless in Gainesville. Since then, he spent a year in the Alachua County Jail and was arrested again in Gainesville in September 2025.
Shuping faces a minimum of 15 years in federal prison
Shuping faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. His sentencing is scheduled for February 16, 2027, at 10:30 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida. Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor will preside.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Gainesville Police Department are jointly investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Tyler Fleming is prosecuting the matter.
Anyone with information about the nonconsensual filming of minors at the listed locations during the specified dates is asked to contact Homeland Security Investigations by email at NDFL_HSI_Gainesville@ice.dhs.gov.
The case was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood coordinates federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute people who exploit children online, while also helping identify and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood is available at Justice.gov/PSC.