Skip to content
News
Link copied to clipboard

Philly OEM manager Grant Shea indicted on child porn

The health and human services program manager at the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management was indicted Thursday on federal child-porn charges.

The health and human services program manager at the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management was indicted Thursday on federal child-porn charges.

Grant Shea, 29, of the 2000 block of South Dorrance Street in South Philadelphia, faces one count each of receipt of child pornography, distribution of child porn, and possession of child porn.

According to the indictment, on about April 24, Shea "received a visual depiction" on the internet "of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct" and distributed such an image.

It says that on June 2, he knowingly possessed computers that contained child porn, which "involved the use of minors, including prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained 12 years of age, engaging in sexually explicit conduct."

The indictment indicates Shea's home was searched. A desktop computer and two laptops were seized.

Shea could not be reached for comment Saturday.

His attorney, Richard J. Fuschino Jr., said Saturday that Shea was arraigned Friday before a federal magistrate in Philadelphia and entered a plea of not guilty.

Fuschino said his client resigned from his city job on Thursday, when the grand jury handed down the indictment. Shea is now under electronic monitoring at his home.

Asked if Shea had any child porn on his home computers, Fuschino said: "I think it would be irresponsible, without seeing the evidence, to comment on it."

He emphasized that the indictment against Shea is "just an allegation."

Fuschino said, "In all of my dealings with Mr. Shea up until this point, he's been one of the most responsible, put-together people I've ever met."

He added, "He's extraordinarily accomplished, he's extraordinarily well-liked."

Fuschino said Shea had served as health and human services program manager at OEM since March.

Questions were sent by email Saturday to OEM spokeswoman Noelle Foizen and OEM director Samantha Phillips.

Foizen replied by email: "We are declining to comment at this time given that legal proceedings are still ongoing."

Philadelphia Magazine reported Friday that Phillips sent an internal email to staff Thursday saying: "Due to personal reasons, Grant Shea has resigned from his position effective immediately. I cannot discuss this further, but please know that Grant left cordially and will be dearly missed."

According to Shea's LinkedIn page, he had been working at OEM since May 2012, first serving as a health and medical planning coordinator until March of this year. It says that since January 2015, he also was serving as OEM's fellowship program coordinator.

He began serving as health and human services program manager in March, the page says.

Before OEM, his LinkedIn page says, Shea worked at the Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, Monmouth County, as a patient-care associate in the emergency department from June 2008 to May 2012 and as an emergency management intern from April 2011 to May 2012.

It says he graduated in 2014 from Philadelphia University with a master's degree in disaster medicine and management, and from Rutgers University in New Brunswick in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in public health.

shawj@phillynews.com

215-854-2592

@julieshawphilly