A Michigan man will serve 85 years in prison for sexually exploiting children, officials say

(CBS-DETROIT) – A Michigan man has been sentenced to 85 years in prison in connection with sexually abusing three minor children, officials said.

Jeremy McCallum, 48, of Holly, was also sentenced to 15 years of supervised release after his release from prison, according to U.S. Attorney General Dawn N. Ison.

Background to the case

According to court documents, authorities searched McCallum’s home on January 31, 2020, looking for sexual abuse material. During the search, authorities found “hard copies and digital files depicting years of horrific sexual abuse of three minor children by McCallum.”

McCallum allegedly documented the abuse of an underage girl for nearly a decade. He documented the abuse of this minor on VHS tape, his cell phone, and on Polaroid photos.

Officials say McCallum also molested another minor girl when she was an infant and recorded himself abusing her on VHS tape and his cell phone.

In addition to these abuse cases, the FBI found a VHS tape that showed McCallum abusing an underage male.

After years of litigation, McCallum pleaded guilty on June 18 to ten counts of sexual exploitation and one count of possession of child pornography.

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

Michigan State Police and the FBI worked together to investigate the case.