San Antonio man gets 17 years in prison for distributing child pornography

A San Antonio man has been sentenced to a stiff 17 years in federal prison after being convicted of distributing child pornography. His fate was sealed by supplying illegal material to an undercover Australian agent.

Thomas Jeffrey McKissick V, 42, had exchanged prohibited content on two separate occasions, February 6 and 7, 2022. Following a search warrant on March 10, 2022, authorities found a trove of more than 10,000 images and nearly 800 video files of child sexual abuse on his mobile phone. He was arrested the following day. He remained in federal custody until his March 5, 2024, guilty plea to one count of child sexual abuse, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

After the sentence, which also includes a lifetime of probation and $15,000 in restitution, U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza emphasized the importance of inter-agency cooperation, saying, “This case demonstrates that our partnerships to combat criminal activity and prosecute child abusers extend far beyond our state and national borders,” according to a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The efforts of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Queensland Police Service were praised by Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee, who warned: “While this significant sentence cannot repair the permanent harm done to the children depicted in these images, it should serve as a warning to those who engage in this conduct.” He highlighted the relentless pursuit of online child predators by HSI and its international partners who work tirelessly to protect children and bring perpetrators to justice, the US Attorney’s Office said.

HSI, a key entity within the Virtual Global Taskforce, continues to work with its partners to implement a victim-centered methodology in addressing child exploitation, with an emphasis on identifying, rescuing, and stabilizing victims. HSI asks the public to report suspected exploitation or missing children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The case was the result of a partnership between HSI and Queensland Police, and reflects strong international collaboration led by Assistant District Attorney Bettina Richardson, as part of the broader Project Safe Childhood initiative, which has been pooling resources to combat child exploitation since 2006.