Huntsville Man Faces 10 Child Pornography Charges After NCMEC Tip

Two men in Huntsville, Alabama, have been arrested on child pornography charges following separate investigations initiated by tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Nathan Edward Wade, 25, was arrested on May 12, 2026. Police executed a search warrant at his residence in the 100 block of Ellacott Drive early that morning.

Wade faces 10 counts of possession with intent to disseminate child pornography and one count of tampering with physical evidence.

The investigation into Wade began on February 26, 2026, after the Huntsville Police Department’s Special Task Force Rescuing and Investigating Kid Exploitation, known as STRIKE, received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding possible child exploitation material.

The warrant for Wade’s residence was executed around 5:30 a.m. On May 12, 2026. The operation involved officers from STRIKE, the Huntsville Police Department’s SWAT Team, the FBI, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

In a separate investigation, Mitchell Stuart Sheaffer, 32, was arrested on May 8, 2026.

Sheaffer faces six counts of possession with intent to disseminate child pornography.

STRIKE officers received a tip regarding Sheaffer on September 14, 2025, concerning the possible upload of child sexual abuse material to an online account.

Investigators executed a search warrant at Sheaffer’s residence in the 400 block of Malvern Road around 5:30 a.m. On May 8, 2026, where he was taken into custody without incident.

Several electronic devices were seized during both operations. These devices are currently being analyzed by the Huntsville Police Department’s Digital Forensic Team.

Police indicated that additional charges may be possible pending the results of the forensic analysis. Both cases remain under active investigation.