Former Scott Air Force Base airman pleads guilty in child porn case
A former airman at Scott Air Force Base pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of distribution of child pornography after he contacted two girls online for sexually explicit photos, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.
Michael E. McCay, 32, entered the plea Jan. 13 in federal court in East St. Louis, according to court records and a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A plea agreement calls for prosecutors to recommend a 25-year prison term when McCay is sentenced April 7, according to federal court records.
Federal Public Defender Kim Freter, who represents McCay, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Investigators searched McCay’s home at Scott Air Force Base in February 2023 in connection with the receipt and distribution of child pornography, according to the news release. Agents found more than 4,000 photos and videos of child sexual abuse material.
“In January 2024, a second search warrant was executed on McCay’s new cellphone,” according to the news release. “Law enforcement identified at least two minor victims, a 12-year-old and an 11-year-old, that McCay was sexually exploiting through online applications, including Roblox, Kik, Snapchat and Likee.”
“McCay would purport to be a minor and request sexually explicit images of the minors,” according to a stipulation of facts filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. McCay did this while stationed at Scott Air Force Base, in the United Kingdom and in Turkey.
McCay sent “threatening messages” to the two girls, according to court records, which also show he sent money to a minor in a January 2024 transaction.
The maximum sentence McCay could face is 80 years, according to prosecutors.
“Sex crimes against children are a profound betrayal of everything decent because they exploit the innocent, shatter trust, and inflict lasting harm. This former airman has deeply dishonored himself and the military he served,” U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft said in the news release.
The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Burns is prosecuting the case.