Former Senior Airman sentenced to 25 years for sexually exploiting children

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A district judge sentenced a former Senior Airman stationed at Scott Air Force Base to 25 years in federal prison after he admitted to sexually exploiting minors and distributing images and videos of child sexual abuse material.

Michael E. McCay, 33, pleaded guilty in January to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of distribution of child pornography. Following imprisonment, he will serve the rest of his life on supervised release.

"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."

According to court documents, a review of McCay's electronic devices in February 2023 identified over 22,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material. McCay also used his devices to communicate with purported minor victims. During these communications, McCay would purport to be a minor and request sexually explicit images from them. McCay's conduct occurred in numerous locations as McCay was previously stationed in the United Kingdom, Turkey, and the Southern District of Illinois.

In January 2024, a review of McCay's new electronic devices occurred after McCay sent money via CashApp to a suspected minor. During this second search, law enforcement found thousands of additional images and videos of child sexual abuse material along with additional communications with suspected minors.

From April 2023 through January 2024, McCay communicated with two minor victims and requested sexually explicit images from them. The child victims were 11 and 12 at the time. McCay had nearly two-dozen videos and images of the minor victims on his electronic device and McCay 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.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.