Jacksonville, FL – In a shocking turn of events, Naval Commander Gregory Edward McLean, 39, of Jacksonville, Florida, has pleaded guilty to one count of distributing videos depicting the sexual assault of children and one count of unlawful retention of classified national defense information.
According to the plea agreement, state law enforcement in Rhode Island received a cyber tipline report that a user of a particular messaging application had shared videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. The investigation identified the user as McLean, who was at that time an active-duty officer in the U.S. Navy, with the rank of Lieutenant Commander and serving as the Executive Officer of a ship stationed aboard Naval Station Mayport in Florida.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) continued the investigation and identified additional instances where McLean had distributed child sexual abuse material. On Nov. 4, 2021, agents executed a federal search warrant at McLean’s residence, during which they seized numerous electronic devices and storage media. A forensic review revealed that several of these items contained files depicting the sexual abuse of minors.
The forensic review also identified a flash drive – which had been recovered from McLean’s kitchen counter – that contained approximately 150 documents containing national defense information classified at the Secret level and 50 documents containing national defense information classified at the Confidential level. An investigation by NCIS and the FBI revealed that throughout his service as a naval officer, McLean had access to classified information and held a Top-Secret security clearance.
McLean faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years and up to 20 years in prison for the child exploitation offense and up to 10 years in prison for the retention of classified information offense. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Defendant: Gregory Edward McLean
Exact charges: Distributing videos depicting the sexual assault of children, Unlawful retention of classified national defense information
City and state: Jacksonville, FL
Exact date: November 4, 2021
Sentence or outcome: Pending sentencing
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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