Brian G. McAtee, a 43-year-old resident of Omaha, Nebraska, has been sentenced to 103 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography. The sentencing took place on June 24, 2025, with Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., presiding over the case. Upon completion of his prison term, McAtee will undergo seven years of supervised release and is required to pay $27,000 in restitution to nine identified victims.
The investigation began on January 5, 2023, when Discord, Inc. reported two instances of a user uploading child pornography images to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The associated IP address led investigators to McAtee's residence in Omaha.
On January 31, 2024, Nebraska State Patrol Investigators approached McAtee at his home. He admitted to using Discord and possessing child pornography on his cell phone. McAtee cooperated by providing his phone and its passcode to the investigators. A forensic analysis revealed that he had stored at least 696 image files and 115 video files depicting child pornography.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project involves collaboration between federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute offenders while identifying and rescuing victims.
The Nebraska State Patrol conducted the investigation leading to McAtee's conviction.
