St. Petersburg Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Possession of Child Pornography

TAMPA—U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced Barry Anthony McGill (age 30) to eight years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. The court also ordered McGill to forfeit two computers traceable to the offense. McGill pleaded guilty on November 26, 2013.

According to court documents, an undercover agent downloaded multiple files depicting child pornography from McGill in August 2013. On October 1, 2013, federal agents executed a search warrant at McGill’s residence. During an interview with agents, McGill confessed to downloading images of child pornography and making them available for others via the Internet. Agents also seized McGill’s computers and found that they contained images of child pornography.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Largo Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph W. Swanson.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the 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 locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.