Justin Laurence McKinley, a 49-year-old man from Jacksonville, Florida, has pleaded guilty to sending internet notices soliciting the live molestation of children for online viewing, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charges expose a grotesque digital underworld in which McKinley paid thousands to watch young children sexually abused in real time. He now faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison, up to 30 years, and a potential lifetime of supervised release.
The FBI launched its investigation in 2015 into a foreign-based website dedicated to the sexual exploitation of minors, where live ‘sex shows’ were streamed to paying viewers. Federal agents uncovered a network of U.S.-based participants, including McKinley, who financially supported the abuse. Between January 2014 and December 2015, McKinley sent 100 electronic fund transfers totaling $31,415 to foreign individuals who molested children on camera.
On May 27, 2016, federal agents raided McKinley’s Jacksonville residence, seizing computer equipment and storage devices. During questioning, he admitted to soliciting child molestation over live video feeds and acknowledged recording numerous sessions. The victims depicted—some no older than a newborn—were shown being sexually abused in real time, streamed to predators like McKinley who paid for access.
Forensic analysis of McKinley’s digital media revealed the horrifying scale of his collection: at least 613 videos and 6,846 images of child sexual abuse stored on a single external hard drive. The evidence painted a clear picture of a man deeply embedded in the consumption and facilitation of child exploitation, using the anonymity of the internet to fuel his crimes across international borders.
The case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and law enforcement agencies in multiple foreign countries. Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown is prosecuting the case, underscoring the federal government’s commitment to tracking down predators who exploit technology to harm children.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat the rising epidemic of child sexual exploitation. By combining federal, state, and international resources, the program aims to dismantle networks of abuse, rescue victims, and bring perpetrators like Justin Laurence McKinley to justice. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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