Port St. Lucie Tattoo Artist Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

MIAMI – Dustin Singleton, 42, of Hobe Sound, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon to three counts of producing child sexual abuse material, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.

On April 29, 2022, following a traffic stop in Stuart, Fla., Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) detectives found 32.86 grams of methamphetamine with a purity level of 98%, approximately 5 grams of cocaine, less than a gram of fentanyl, approximately 195 grams of marijuana, several glass pipes, hypodermic needles, a loaded Smith & Wesson, Bodyguard .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a loaded Glock type 9mm pistol built from a Polymer80 PF940C kit (“Glock clone”), several unused baggies, several pill bottles with various controlled substances, $1,104.00 in U.S. currency, 10 cellphones, and three tablets in Singleton’s vehicle. Singleton is a convicted felon and prohibited by law from possessing firearms. 

In July 2022, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent and two MCSO detectives received information that tattoo artist Singleton aka “Greenhouse” exchanged narcotics and tattoos for sexual activity with minor females at his Port St. Lucie tattoo shop. Two rounds of search warrants were obtained – the first one for narcotics and the second one for child sexual abuse material, which targeted Singleton’s electronic devices. Forensic examinations of the devices revealed numerous images of Singleton and Elijah Daniel Shaw, both engaging in sexually explicit activity with a freshly tattooed 13-year-old minor female victim—recorded inside the tattoo shop.

On August 2, 2022, law enforcement arrested Shaw who identified images/videos of himself, Singleton, and the 13-year-old minor female victim and confirmed that the video was recorded inside Singleton’s tattoo parlor. A HSI special agent applied for additional search warrants for Singleton’s and Shaw’s social media and iCloud accounts. Forensic Examiners located numerous videos of child sexual abuse material, spanning six hours, including videos of Singleton tattooing the 13-year-old, and later holding a smoking glass pipe for the victim, while he and Shaw both engaged in sexually explicit activity with her. Investigators located videos revealing two additional minor victims, each 17 years of age, engaging in sexually explicit activity with Singleton. Singleton had secretly recorded himself having sex with the minors, using his tattoo shop’s video surveillance system, which he saved in his iCloud.

For each of the three counts of producing child sexual abuse material, Singleton faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. In addition, he will be required to register as a sex offender.

For the drug distribution charge, Singleton faces up to 20 years in prison, followed by at least 3 years of supervised release.

For the firearm charge, Singleton faces up to 10 years in prison, followed by supervised release for up to 3 years.

Elijah Daniel Shaw, on January 25, pleaded guilty to producing and possessing child sexual abuse material, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Melissa Damian, sitting in Miami. Shaw is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon on June 27, in Fort Pierce.

United States Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, HSI, Miami, announced the guilty plea.

HSI Fort Pierce Office investigated the case, with assistance from Martin County Sheriff’s Office, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, and Port St. Lucie Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carmen Lineberger and Michael Porter are prosecuting it.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about the PSC initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-14048.

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