Dearborn man sentenced to 15 years in prison for distribution of child pornography following ICE HSI investigation
DETROIT — Sean McClanahan, 51, of Dearborn, Michigan, was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison on charges of distributing child pornography, announced acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris, III, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit.
Harris was joined in the announcement by United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
According to court records, after McClanahan sent a link containing files of child pornography to an undercover officer, on July 1, 2018, he admitted to distributing child pornography on that day, and as part of his plea agreement, further admitted to involvement with more than 600 images of child pornography and images of infants and toddlers. This was McClanahan’s second conviction for a federal child pornography offense, and he engaged in this conduct while he was still on supervised release for his first offense.
“HSI is committed to protecting the innocent and ensuring offenders like McClanahan are removed from our communities,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris III.
“Each time an image of an abused child is distributed or viewed online it revictimizes that child. We will protect these children and hold individuals accountable each and every time they prey on our most vulnerable citizens,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison.
The case was investigated by HSI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Bean and Christopher Rawsthorne.
HSI is a directorate of ICE and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 special agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
Learn more about HSI’s child exploitation mission @HSIDetroit.
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