Western District of Texas | San Antonio man sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after sending child pornography to Australian police officer

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man has been sentenced to 210 months in prison by a federal court for distributing child pornography.

According to court documents, Thomas Jeffrey McKissick V, 42, sent 18 images and four video files containing child pornography to an undercover police officer in Queensland, Australia, on February 6 and 7, 2022. Homeland Security Investigations executed a federal search warrant at McKissick’s San Antonio residence on March 10, 2022, seizing a cellphone containing more than 10,000 images and nearly 800 video files containing child sexual abuse material.

McKissick was arrested on March 11, 2022, and remains in federal custody. He pleaded guilty to one count on March 5, 2024. In addition to the 210-month prison sentence, McKissick was sentenced to lifelong probation and $15,000 in restitution.

“This case demonstrates that our partnerships to combat criminal activity and prosecute child abusers extend far beyond our state and national borders,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Thanks to this bilateral investigation and the collaboration between HSI San Antonio and the Queensland Police Service in Australia, this criminal will no longer be able to harm children.”

“While this important 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 behavior. HSI and our partners will be relentless in our pursuit of online predators,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of HSI San Antonio. “The collaboration between HSI and our international partners is critical in our mission to protect vulnerable children and bring perpetrators to justice.”

“This arrest is an excellent outcome, made possible by the exceptional partnership between the Queensland Police Service and Homeland Security Investigations,” said Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson for the Queensland Police Service child exploitation unit Argos. “This joint effort underscores the importance of interagency cooperation in our shared mission to target high-harm offenders, improve community safety and remove children from harm.”

HSI takes a victim-centered approach to child exploitation investigations by identifying, rescuing, and stabilizing victims. HSI works with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Internet Crimes Against Children partners, and other federal, state, and local agencies to solve cases and rescue sexually exploited children. You may report suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 800-THE-LOST.

HSI is a founding member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.

HSI and Queensland Police investigated the matter.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Bettina Richardson.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children online, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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