Former Oregon City School District teaching aid sentenced to 28 years in prison for production of child pornography
Defendant worked with disabled children as an instructional assistant
PORTLAND, Ore. – James Ian McGlothlin, 41, of Portland, was sentenced Monday to 28 years in federal prison followed by a life term of supervised release for producing child pornography involving two very young children.
This case resulted from an investigation by the INTERCEPT Task Force – a partnership between the Clackamas and Multnomah County Sheriff’s offices, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Producing child pornography is an appalling crime,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “It is unthinkable that someone would prey upon infants, toddlers, and disabled children, yet that is exactly what James McGlothlin did. He was supposed to be safeguarding his victims, but he took advantage of them instead for his own sexual gratification.” Williams added, “Hopefully, this sentence will help ensure that McGlothlin will not be in a position to sexually abuse children again.”
According to court documents, investigators first learned of McGlothlin’s actions while investigating an online bulletin board service used to advertise and distribute child pornography. On February 16, 2016, federal agents and members of the Interagency Child Exploitation Prevention Team (INTERCEPT) executed a search warrant at McGlothlin’s residence, where they seized computer equipment, phones, and other digital devices. Forensic examinations of the seized computers revealed thousands of files containing child pornography, including videos and images McGlothlin created himself. One of the victims was an infant; another was a very young child.
Investigators found evidence that McGlothlin sexually abused a number of disabled children he worked with as an instructional assistant in Oregon City, as well as his writings which described in graphic detail how he planned, rehearsed, and sexually abused children.
“Those who exploit their access to children to gratify their own perverse sexual desires are on notice that there will be serious consequences for those actions,” said Brad Bench, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle. “When individuals who are entrusted to serve as role models for our children violate that trust, there will be zero tolerance. HSI will continue to work closely with its local law enforcement partners to target those involved in the sexual exploitation of children to ensure they are held accountable for their crimes.”
McGlothlin’s federal sentence will run concurrently with a sentence of 225 months in prison imposed in Clackamas County Circuit Court on March 2, after he pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree sexual abuse stemming from his work with disabled children as an instructional assistant for the Oregon City School District.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.
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