Holly man convicted of child sex abuse

A Holly man convicted of sexually assaulting children, including a little girl, will go to prison, officials announced Wednesday.

Jeremy McCallum, 48, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Detroit to 85 years, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Dawn Ison said in a statement.

She said a judge also ordered him to serve 15 years of supervised release after his departure.

“This defendant committed monstrous crimes,” Ison said. “This prosecution and conviction should send a strong message to child predators: you will face serious consequences if you harm our children.”

McCallum’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

In his sentencing memo to the judge filed last week, Haralambos Mihas said that while there are no excuses for his client’s crimes, McCallum was also sexually abused in his youth.

“There are no excuses or justifications for Mr. McCallum’s actions,” the attorney wrote. “Children were abused and the aftermath of that abuse continues to be felt years after these crimes were committed.

“But there is a tragic realization of what brings us to this court for sentencing. Early in his life, as is often the case with people who commit the crimes Mr. McCallum committed, he also became a victim of adults who were expected to deliver their punishment. Jeremy safety, security and a good role model to follow.”

The lawyer also said that his client had been threatened, beaten and abused during his captivity. McCallum wants help and advice. His memo asked the judge to give McCallum a concurrent sentence on each charge he faced.

McCallum pleaded guilty in June to 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possession of child pornography, officials said.

Authorities said investigators searched McCallum’s home in 2020 and found paper copies and digital images of the defendant sexually abusing three children. They reported finding VHS tapes, cell phone videos and Polaroid photos showing him abusing one of the children, a girl, for more than a decade.

Officials said they found videos on tape and his cell phone of McCallum sexually assaulting another girl when she was a baby. Detectives also found a videotape of McCallum sexually assaulting a young boy.

“The despicable acts of sexual exploitation, especially against children, are among the most heinous crimes investigated by our agency,” Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan, said in a statement. “The conviction of Jeremy McCallum is a direct result of the collaboration between the Michigan State Police and the FBI.

“This conviction is a clear and stern warning to those who believe they can target our most vulnerable population and avoid justice. The successful prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Eastern Michigan is a critical step in the healing process for those who fell victim to Mr. McCallum’s deplorable and heinous actions.”

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