Oregon businessman sentenced to 15 years in prison on child pornography charges

EUGENE, Ore. - The owner of a computer repair shop in Coos Bay, Ore., was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison on child pornography charges, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Jeffery Lew McCadden, 52, of Lakeside, Ore., pleaded guilty to five counts of distributing child pornography, two counts of receiving child pornography, and one count possession of child pornography. He was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

McCadden came to the attention of HSI agents after he was encountered online trading child pornography in chat rooms geared toward individuals with an interest in sex and preteen girls. He would describe his fantasies of molesting 7 and 8-year-old girls and detail his molestation of a fictitious toddler he claimed was his niece.

Between July 2007 and May 2008, McCadden sent undercover HSI agents images of children being sexually abused. He hoped to receive similar images in return.

In March 2008, a federal search warrant was executed in Albany, N.Y., at the home of a convicted sex offender in an unrelated case. Investigators discovered "chat logs" on the sex offender's computer showing he had communicated with McCadden and exchanged more than 200 images of child pornography.

In September 2008, ICE agents executed search warrants at McCadden's home and at his computer repair business, Gamer's Galaxy. Investigators seized multiple computers from the business, which were later found to contain more than 4,700 images and 140 videos of children - including infants and toddlers - being molested and raped.

"While there is no way to undo the atrocious crimes committed against these innocent children, it is a relief that the defendant is no longer in a position to carry out his criminal acts," said Leigh Winchell, special agent in charge who oversees ICE HSI in Oregon. "We will continue to dedicate our resources to track down child predators wherever they are and bring them to justice."

In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken ordered McCadden to pay $106,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in the images and videos found on his computers. He also will be required to pay an additional $20,000 to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

While on supervised release, McCadden must abide by a number of conditions, including restrictions on his access to computers, electronic devices, and the Internet. He will also be prohibited from residing or being within 100 yards of places where children congregate.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers. ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.