“Also included in the images received and possessed by McCleave were visual depictions involving the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct which was sadistic and masochistic, exemplified by, but no limited to, prepubescent children in bondage while subjected to sexually explicit conduct,” the documents state.
A Blount County photographer pleaded guilty on Monday to possessing and receiving more than 17,000 images of child pornography — mostly of young female children, but also including boys and babies.
Stanley Eldridge McCleave of Stan McCleave Photography, 805 Mountain View Ave., Maryville, was indicted Dec. 18 in U.S. District Court on one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography and forfeiture allegations. He changed his plea in federal court Monday in Knoxville to guilty of the charges in the indictments.
McCleave is a commercial and portrait photographer and was an adjunct professor of fine arts at Maryville College, but no longer teaches at the college.
According to the plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court, McCleave received and downloaded child pornography from Internet Web sites from 1999 until Feb. 27, 2007. He saved any and all images he found, filed them in his computer’s hard drive and copied the images to CDs.
“McCleave saved all of the child pornography he could find on the Internet, because he never knew if he would be able to find it the next day,” according to facts stated in the plea agreement.
The court documents give one example of a visual depiction of a prepubescent boy engaging in sexually explicit conduct with an adult male in Wisconsin.
“McCleave stated to FBI Special Agent Michael Ruibal that his collection of child pornography was 98 percent female children, but also included boys and babies,” court documents state.
Search warrant executed
On Feb. 27, 2007, the FBI executed a search warrant at McCleave’s residence and found him in possession of more than 17,000 child pornography images, includes at least 24 video clips. One of those videos was over 14 minutes in length, one was 63 minutes and one was over three hours in length.
After identifying minor children in 1,747 still images and 24 videos possessed by McCleave, they stopped identifying the children. Included were visual depictions of minors who were under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct, the plea agreement states.
“Also included in the images received and possessed by McCleave were visual depictions involving the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct which was sadistic and masochistic, exemplified by, but no limited to, prepubescent children in bondage while subjected to sexually explicit conduct,” the documents state.
As part of the agreement, McCleave was required to forfeit the following property which contained the child pornography images: Apple Power Mac G4, external disks, cable modem, CD bolder containing 72 CDs, 34 additional CDs, CD case and ZIP and floppy disks.
For count one of his indictment, receiving child pornography that traveled in interstate commerce, McCleave could be sentenced to five to 20 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. For count two, possessing child pornography that traveled in interstate commerce, McCleave could receive up to 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.
The agreement states that the court may impose any lawful term of imprisonment, fine or supervised release, up to the statutory maximum. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
McCleave’s sentencing hearing will be held at 9 a.m. Aug. 28 in U.S. District Court before Judge Thomas W. Phillips.
