Former Marine Sergeant Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison in Child Pornography Case

PORTLAND, OR—A former U.S. Marine staff sergeant was sentenced yesterday afternoon to a lengthy prison term after pleading guilty to receiving child pornography while stationed in Afghanistan. Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones sentenced Corey Hollis McAdoo to 12 years in prison, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release. During his term of supervised release, McAdoo will be subject to stringent conditions of supervision, including prohibitions on associating with minors and frequenting places where children congregate, limitations on where he may reside, and restrictions on his use of computers. McAdoo will also be required to participate in mental health and sex offender treatment programs, and he must register as a sex offender.

U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall praised the sentence McAdoo received. “We will never tolerate the sexual abuse and exploitation of children,” she said. “Mr. McAdoo was directly responsible for the abuse suffered by these little boys. The fact that he used his military service in an attempt to mitigate his abhorrent behavior is particularly offensive to the proud men and women who serve in the armed forces.” She added, “This sentence serves as a warning to anyone who sexually abuses children, or who views images of such abuse, that we will pursue them tirelessly and will do everything in our power to see them held accountable.”

The investigation began when Portland Police officers received a report that a Portland woman had sent videos of herself sexually abusing her infant nephew to McAdoo. At the time, McAdoo was an active duty Marine sergeant stationed at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. A joint state and federal investigation revealed that the woman also sexually abused two other juvenile nephews at McAdoo’s request, while McAdoo watched the abuse live via web camera. Upon learning of the allegations, the Marine Corps promptly removed McAdoo from active duty, returned him to the United States, and turned him over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to face federal charges in Oregon. McAdoo was separated from the Marine Corps with an “under other than honorable conditions” discharge.

Inez Lambert, the woman who abused the children and sent McAdoo the videos, is presently serving a 25-year state sentence.

At the sentencing hearing, McAdoo said that he took “full responsibility” for his actions. He said he felt deep remorse for the children who were abused. He apologized to their families and to his own, saying he had “failed them.” McAdoo said, “I’m not a bad person, I just chose a bad path.” He asked the judge for leniency so that he could battle the “11 years of chaos and destruction” he experienced in the Marine Corps, “connect back to reality,” and “one day be a better person.”

Judge Jones described this case as “a real life tragedy” and “an enigma.” He described McAdoo as a “poster guy for the Marines” and “the epitome of what a great Marine should be,” until he engaged in conduct the judge described as “depraved,” “unforgiveable,” “inexplicable,” and “horrible.” Although a psychologist testified at the hearing that McAdoo suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, Judge Jones found that those ailments had “absolutely nothing” to do with McAdoo’s conduct, which was “despicable and dishonorable.” Judge Jones found that there was “just no excuse” for McAdoo’s conduct.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by a number of local, state, and federal agencies, including the Portland Police Bureau, the Oregon Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Sussman, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon.