Sedgwick County sheriff detective who worked on crimes against children faces charges
A Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office detective who investigated crimes against children has been charged with two counts of making false information and one count of interfering with law enforcement, court records show.
Detective Shawn McMahon is on unpaid leave. He has been with the sheriff’s office since July 2008, sheriff’s spokesperson Branden Stitt said.
All three charges are considered felonies. They were filed Thursday, according to a complaint filed the same day.
The sheriff’s office asked the Wichita Police Department last December to review cases handled by McMahon that may have potential issues.
Investigators found some of them had improper case closures. They also found that McMahon failed to thoroughly investigate criminal complaints from 2019 to 2024, a January sheriff’s news release said.
McMahon was assigned to the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit in 2019, and transferred to the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit in 2021.
Investigators contacted individuals involved in the cases McMahon worked on.
“These trauma-informed and trained professionals will ensure each case undergoes a thorough review,” the sheriff’s office said.
The EMCU is a collaborative effort between the sheriff’s office, Wichita police and the Kansas Department for Children and Families that investigates serious crimes against children.