US Forestry Service employee and stepson indicted on federal child pornography charges

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Derek Alan Lee, 44, and his stepson Jeffrey Dean McMillan, 21, both of Orange Park, Fla., have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Jacksonville, in separate cases involving child pornography charges.

The case was investigated by the Child Predator Cybercrime Unit of the Florida Attorney General's Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, the Clay County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General.

At the time of their arrests, Lee was an employee with the U.S. Forest Service. He is charged with receipt, attempted transportation and possession of child pornography. On each of the receipt and attempted transportation counts, he faces at least five years and up to 20 years in federal prison. On the possession count, Lee faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

McMillan is charged with possession of child pornography and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

Lee and McMillan had their initial appearances in federal court Tuesday. Lee's arraignment and detention hearing will be held in federal court in Jacksonville before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel B. Toomey on Feb. 10, 2011 at 9:30 a.m., and McMillan's arraignment and detention hearing will be held before U.S. Magistrate Judge James R. Klindt on Feb. 9, 2011 at 2 p.m.

Both Lee and McMillan have been in custody since their arrests on Dec. 10, 2010 at their shared Orange Park residence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

The investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to identify, investigate and arrest those who prey on children, including human traffickers, international sex tourists, Internet pornographers, and foreign-national predators whose crimes make them deportable.

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.