Former Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Perryopolis, PA has been sentenced in federal court to a total term of 276 months’ imprisonment (23 years) on his conviction for seven counts of child sexual exploitation, including the production and attempted production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, and transportation and attempted transportation of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon ordered a period of 25 years’ supervised release following McKenzie’s incarceration sentence and ordered that McKenzie pay restitution totaling $61,000.00 to his minor victims.

According to information presented to the court, on three separate occasions in 2020-2021, McKenzie induced a minor known to him to shower and change in a bathroom where he surreptitiously recorded the minor. McKenzie saved one of the videos that he had captured of this minor on a thumb drive where he also had saved hundreds of other videos of child sexual abuse material, including videos that depicted prepubescent minors, toddlers, and babies being sexually abused. Additionally, McKenzie transferred the videos he created of the minor to a Dropbox account, along with another video of an unknown minor showering and changing. At the time of this criminal conduct, McKenzie was employed by the Pennsylvania State Police as a Corporal. Law enforcement recovered the thumb drive containing the child sexual abuse material from the lapel pocket of McKenzie’s Pennsylvania State Police uniform.

In sentencing the defendant, Judge Bissoon acknowledged the pain and harm McKenzie caused all of the victims of his crimes. Judge Bissoon stated that McKenzie is a danger to society.

“This defendant betrayed his oath as a sworn law enforcement officer and victimized the very children he was sworn to protect,” said United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan. “McKenzie’s conduct represents the most disturbing betrayal of trust, and today’s sentence provides more proof that this office and our partners in law enforcement will bring the full force of federal law to seek justice for child sexual abuse victims.”

“The investigation, prosecution and sentencing of Sean McKenzie was made possible by the unparalleled cooperation between HSI Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia William S. Walker. “Today’s sentence is a warning to all would-be predators that our law enforcement agencies continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute to the fullest extent those who harm children. This is especially true when the perpetrator of these horrific crimes is a law enforcement officer.”

Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Homeland Security Investigations – Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of McKenzie.

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, 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.justice.gov/psc.