Southeast Texas teen mentor charged with producing child pornography

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A teen mentor and founder of a Southeast Texas nonprofit youth organization was charged Thursday in a federal criminal complaint with producing child pornography.

These criminal charges were announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez, Southern District of Texas. Special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted this investigation with assistance from the Corpus Christi Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Kevin Ray McMillan, 37, of Corpus Christi, is a teen mentor with the Boys and Girls Club of Corpus Christi and is also founder of Texas Youth Entrepreneurs, a nonprofit youth organization that mentors aspiring young future business owners, according to the charges.

McMillan was taken into custody Thursday night as he was allegedly traveling to have sex with a minor. A federal criminal complaint was filed May 18. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate B. Janice Ellington May 19.

The charges allege McMillan had been sending sexually explicit text messages via cellphone to a juvenile female.  According to information in the complaint, McMillan also had sex with the young girl who was photographed via cellphone.

If convicted, McMillan faces a minimum of 15 and up to 30 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 fine.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 14,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2015, nearly 2,400 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

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.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.