A cartoonist famous for his work in the “New Yorker,” has been arrested in the Hudson Valley for alleged possession of a sexual performance by a child.
Dutchess County resident Daniel (Danny) P. Shanahan, 64, of Rhinebeck, was arrested by New York State Police on Wednesday, Dec. 9, and charged with possession of a sexual performance by a child, said Trooper AJ Hicks.
According to Hicks, the materials were found on his computer after a warrant was obtained by the Village of Rhinebeck Police.
Danny Shanahan, 64, was arrested Wednesday at his home in Rhinebeck, New York, state police said in a news release. He was ordered to appear in court on Jan. 20 on a charge of possession of a sexual performance by a child, a class E felony.
The New York Daily News carries the story.
Shanahan is a longtime New Yorker cartoonist whose work last appeared in the magazine’s Feb. 20 issue. A phone number listed for Shanahan in public records was disconnected. It wasn’t clear if he had an attorney who could speak for him.
Danny Shanahan could face up to four years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation, if convicted as charged.
Over the course of his career as a professional cartoonist, Shanahan has contributed more than 1,000 cartoons to the New Yorker, and his wok also has appeared in other important publications, including Time, Newsweek, New York, Fortune, Playboy, Esquire, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the Chicago Tribune.
UPDATE:
The New York Post reports that The New Yorker has suspended its contract with Shanahan:
The New Yorker on Thursday said it had suspended the contract of famed freelance cartoonist Danny Shanahan, following his arrest on child pornography charges.
“The accusations against Danny Shanahan are deeply disturbing,” a New Yorker spokesperson said in a statement.
“We have suspended his freelance contract while the Dutchess County District Attorney’s office proceeds with its investigation.”
Sad. I heard him speak as part of panels of /New Yorker/ artists during two Bard College family weekends.
Earlier this year his son was convicted of manslaughter after stabbing his roommate to death during a psychotic episode: https://www.facebook.com/hudsonvalleynews/posts/rhinebeck-killer-pleads-crazyin-print-this-weekrhinebecks-render-stetson-shanaha/10157118495046172/