EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — A federal judge sentenced Michael E. McCay, 33, a former Senior Airman stationed at Scott Air Force Base, to 25 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting children and distributing child sexual abuse material, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois announced.
McCay pleaded guilty in January to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of distribution of child pornography. He will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following imprisonment. “Our brave servicemembers protect the vulnerable and serve our nation with honor. McCay’s conduct is deeply shocking because it betrays everything it means to serve,” said United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “His 25-year sentence highlights our commitment to protect vulnerable children from this type of exploitation.”
A review of McCay’s electronic devices in February 2023 identified over 22,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material. McCay used his devices to communicate with purported minor victims, posing as a minor himself and requesting sexually explicit images. His conduct spanned multiple duty stations, including the United Kingdom, Turkey, and the Southern District of Illinois.
In January 2024, a second search of McCay’s new electronic devices — triggered after he sent money via CashApp to a suspected minor — uncovered thousands of additional images and videos of child sexual abuse material along with further communications with suspected minors. From April 2023 through January 2024, McCay communicated with two minor victims, aged 11 and 12, and obtained nearly two dozen sexually explicit videos and images of them. He distributed some of those files to others.
“The exploitation of children has a lasting and profound effect on everyone involved, from the victims to the investigators,” said Special Agent Elijah Bell with the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. “Through the collaboration between our agents, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, our local law enforcement partners, and the Northamptonshire Police Department in the United Kingdom, we were able to swiftly pursue justice.”
The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Burns prosecuted the case. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.