Miami Attorney William Power McCaughan, Jr. Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Producing Child Abuse Material

William Power McCaughan, Jr., a Miami attorney and former prosecutor, has been sentenced to 190 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to producing child abuse material. A U.S. District Judge imposed the sentence on Aug. 28, according to details provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

McCaughan’s disturbing actions unfolded over several years. For example, he used the messaging app Kik to conduct conversations about child sexual abuse material. Court documents show that McCaughan received a video of an 11-year-old child naked from another person. He also requested sexually explicit images from at least two underage victims, giving them instructions on how to pose for the images. This raises serious concerns about the exploitation that occurs under the guise of anonymity on digital platforms.

A restitution hearing in McCaughan’s case is scheduled for Nov. 19, according to a Justice Department press release. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and the prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie D. Waxman and Lauren Astigarraga-Little, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon overseeing the asset forfeiture.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Justice Department in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. It marshals a wide range of federal, state, and local resources to investigate and prosecute offenders and to identify and rescue victims. Anyone seeking more information or submitting tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit the FBI website.

If you have concerns about child abuse, exploitation, or other related crimes, you are encouraged to contact authorities. Related court documents and further details about the case are publicly available on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida website or through the PACER system under case number 23-cr-20325.