CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jeremy McQuage, a 41-year-old man from Morven, N.C., has been sentenced to 13 years behind bars for distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography. On Monday, August 10, 2020, U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney handed down the sentence to McQuage, who was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and register as a sex offender upon completion of his prison term.
According to court documents, the FBI discovered McQuage’s involvement in the distribution of child pornography in February 2019. During an investigation into a BitTorrent peer-to-peer file sharing network, investigators found that McQuage was downloading and sharing videos and images of infants and toddlers being sexually abused. On March 14, 2019, the FBI executed a search warrant at the residence where the internet had been used to access and download the child pornography. Although McQuage did not reside at the address, he would often park in the driveway and use the WiFi to connect to the internet.
FBI agents located McQuage and seized his cellular phone, which revealed that he possessed hundreds of images and videos of children being sexually abused. In addition to downloading child pornography, McQuage also used BitTorrent to distribute and share the material with others.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced the sentence, stating that the court was troubled by the quantity and gravity of the images and videos. Judge Whitney noted that McQuage’s conduct contributed to a global market of abuse and that the victimization of the minors in the videos and images was extraordinary.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Wasserman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Spaugh prosecuting the case. McQuage is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
As part of the sentence, McQuage will serve a lifetime of supervised release and register as a sex offender upon completion of his prison term. This case is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of child pornography and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Related Federal Cases
- Jordan Lee Adams, Child Pornography Production, North Carolina · Virginia
- Jeremy McQuage, Child Pornography Distribution, NC 2020 · Michigan
- Roland Vance Watson, Child Pornography, North Carolina 2024 · North Carolina
- John Doe, Child Pornography, North Carolina 2022 · North Carolina
- Franklin Wade Meares, Child Pornography, North Carolina 2012 · Arkansas
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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