WILMINGTON, Del. - Carl McBride, age 50, of Claymont, Delaware, pleaded guilty earlier today to Receipt of Child Pornography, in violation of federal law. Charles M. Oberly, III, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced the guilty plea following a hearing in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.
McBride faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years, and up to twenty years, in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least five years to life following his prison sentence. He also will be required to register as a sex offender in any jurisdiction in which he resides, works or attends school. United States District Judge Gregory M. Sleet has scheduled McBride’s sentencing hearing for Dec. 29, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.
According to statements made and documents filed in court, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security special agent identified McBride while conducting an online undercover investigation into hidden, or “dark web," child pornography trafficking networks. That investigation revealed that McBride had utilized a hidden peer-to-peer computer network to distribute child pornography to over 150 individuals from his Claymont home. After identifying McBride through computer network records, investigators discovered that another person residing at his Claymont residence was then providing daycare services out of the home under the name “Little Tykes Day Care."
On November 5, 2013, federal law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at McBride’s Claymont home, and seized multiple computers and digital devices. McBride was arrested that day after a forensic examination of a laptop computer found near a diaper changing table revealed over 28,000 files depicting photographs and movies of child pornography. Most of these images depicted the violent sexual abuse of prepubescent girls.
During a post-arrest interview, McBride admitted to trafficking in child pornography, but claimed he was doing so in an effort to identify and help law enforcement agencies apprehend other child predators. McBride admitted, however, that he had not contacted any law enforcement agencies about his ‘efforts’ to catch online predators, adding that he was “almost done collecting the evidence" at the time of the search and his arrest. McBride has been held in federal custody since then. The Office of Child Care Licensing suspended the daycare operator’s license the same day.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward J. McAndrew.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
