A Fairhope-residing Mobile neurosurgeon who faces multiple charges of possession and production of child sexual abuse materials, both of real and AI-created children, is recovering in a hospital after he attempted suicide while in custody, officials said.

According to a press release from the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) released Thursday, Sept. 17, at approximately 3:30 a.m. Thursday morning, corrections officers at the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Center found Shawn Clark unconscious in his cell, where he was immediately given medical aid while an ambulance was requested.

Clark was transported to a local trauma center, where BCSO said he is currently listed as in stable condition. Officials said this was a suicide attempt and that no other inmates were involved.

BCSO said that once Clark receives medical clearance, he will return to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Center and be placed on suicide watch.

“The sheriff’s office would like to commend the swift actions of our corrections officer whose medical training assisted in preserving Mr. Clark’s life,” BCSO said in the statement.

Clark, 59, owns Clark Neurosurgery and Spine on Airport Boulevard in Mobile. He was arrested earlier this month in Mobile County and charged with five counts of possession and five counts of production of child pornography.

On Monday, Sept. 14, Clark was released from Mobile Metro Jail and subsequently arrested and booked in Baldwin County, where he faces four additional charges of possession of child pornography. The charges come after investigators conducted search warrants at his medical practice facility in Mobile and his home in Fairhope.

Just the previous day, on Sept. 16, Clark appeared virtually for a bond hearing at the Baldwin County Circuit Court in Foley, during which Assistant District Attorney Sydnee Corello said Clark allegedly created AI-generated child sexual abuse materials on his work computer, organized by age, with authorities saying the material includes a mix of real children and images generated by AI.

District Judge Grant Blackburn set a total bond of $400,000 for the charges in Baldwin County. In addition to his bail, Clark will be required to wear an ankle monitor, is prohibited from accessing the internet other than to talk to his lawyers and is prohibited from contacting any minors. Blackburn said Clark would be barred from contacting any victims that are depicted in the materials, if there are any victims involved in the case.

Clark told Blackburn he is unable to go home due to his wife filing for divorce, so he plans to stay at a hotel near his office.

In 2024, the Alabama Legislature overwhelmingly passed the Alabama Child Protection Act of 2024, which was signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey on April 30, going into effect on Oct. 1 of that year. The law amends the state’s child pornography statute and bans deepfake images created by artificial intelligence. It is Class A felony, which is punishable by 10 years to life in prison.