Gregory Edward McLean, a former naval officer, was indicted in September 2021. He served as the executive officer of the pre-commissioned littoral combat ship Minneapolis-St. Paul until late 2021. McLean pleaded guilty to distributing videos depicting the sexual assault of children and unlawful retention of classified national defense information.
He was found to have shared child sexual abuse material and retained national defense information pertaining to foreign combat aircraft and naval capabilities at his home. The disclosure of this information could have caused damage to the national security of the United States.
In May 2024, McLean was sentenced to about 13 years in prison for distributing child pornography and illegally holding onto classified documents. The court described the actions as "beyond deplorable."
Gregory Mclean. Autographed Letter, Signed. Handwritten, Commercial #10 (4.125 × 9.5 envelope). n.p. n.d. Content unknown. SEALED.
Gregory Edward McLean, a former naval officer, was involved in a criminal case where he pleaded guilty to distributing videos depicting the sexual assault of children and unlawful retention of classified national defense information. He was sentenced to approximately 13 years in prison for these offenses. The case highlighted serious crimes involving child exploitation and mishandling of sensitive national security information.
Lt Cdr McLean was caught distributing child exploitation videos through a collaborative investigation. It began when state law enforcement in Rhode Island received a cyber tipline report that a user of a particular messaging application had shared videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. The user was identified as McLean, who was an active-duty officer in the U.S. Navy at the time.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) continued the investigation and found additional instances where McLean had distributed child sexual abuse material. On November 4, 2021, agents executed a federal search warrant at McLean’s residence, where they seized numerous electronic devices and storage media. A forensic review of these items revealed files depicting the sexual abuse of minors. This comprehensive investigation led to Mclean’s arrest and subsequent sentencing.
Lt Cdr Mclean’s involvement in distributing child exploitation videos was extensive and persistent. According to the plea agreement and court documents:
McLean pleaded guilty to one count of distributing videos depicting the sexual assault of children.
The investigation revealed additional instances where McLean had distributed child sexual abuse material. According to the document, McLean operated under the aliases “twisteddesire3210” and “twisteddesire3213” while distributing the videos from around November 2020 and November 2021.
A forensic review of the seized electronic devices from Mclean’s residence found several files depicting the sexual abuse of minors.
He was sentenced to 160 months (about 13 and a half years) in prison for distributing child sexual abuse material, reflecting the severity of his offenses.
Lt Cdr McLean gained access to classified information through his role as an active-duty officer in the U.S. Navy. He held the rank of Lieutenant Commander and served as the executive officer of a ship stationed at Naval Station Mayport in Florida. Throughout his service, McLean had access to classified information and maintained a top-secret security clearance.
McLean had entered into various agreements with the United States regarding the protection and proper handling of classified information. Despite this, he unlawfully retained classified documents at his home, which was not an authorized location for such materials. The documents he retained included approximately 150 documents classified at the secret level and 50 documents classified at the confidential level. These documents contained national defense information related to foreign governments and their combat aircraft and naval capabilities. Disclosure of this information could have caused serious damage to the national security of the United States.
The impact on Gregory Edward Mclean’s career and reputation was severe and irreversible. As a result of his criminal actions, McLean faced the following consequences:
End of Military Career: McLean was a Lieutenant Commander and the executive officer of the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul at Naval Station Mayport. His conviction led to the end of his career in the U.S. Navy.
Incarceration: He was sentenced to approximately 13 years in prison, which is a significant portion of an individual’s life and professional career.
Public Record: The nature of his crimes and the subsequent legal proceedings have been documented in public records and reported by various news outlets, which has likely tarnished his reputation beyond repair.
Personal Acknowledgment: McLean himself called his actions “beyond deplorable” before his sentencing, indicating a recognition of the gravity of his offenses and their impact on his personal and professional standing.
The combination of distributing child sexual abuse material and unlawfully retaining classified national defense information not only led to legal repercussions but also damaged his standing in the community and his legacy as a naval officer.
VIDEO: Former Mayport Naval officer sentenced to over 13 years for child sex crimes | https://youtu.be/cnxtDgvOZmA
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