US News

Steven Paul McInally: Glasgow Soft Play Owner Sentenced to 25 Years in U.S. for Child Abuse Images | UK News


The proprietor of a soft play centre in Scotland has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after being discovered at a US airport with thousands of images depicting child sexual abuse on his mobile device.

Steven Paul McInally, 36, was subjected to a search by customs officials upon his arrival at Orlando International Airport in Florida for a vacation in August 2023.

Court documents indicate that some of the content discovered on his phone consisted of images of children taken during sleepovers at his residence.

A forensic analysis uncovered approximately 3,900 images and 70 videos depicting child sexual abuse on his device.

In a hearing held in November, McInally admitted guilt to charges of transporting and possessing child sexual abuse material.

Last week, he returned to court, where he was sentenced to 25 years in a federal prison by District Judge Wendy D. Berger.

Go Wild soft play centre in Bridgeton, Glasgow
Image:
Go Wild soft play centre in Bridgeton, Glasgow

It has been reported that McInally, previously a director of the now-defunct World of Mascots, was the manager of the Go Wild soft play centre in Bridgeton, Glasgow.

After his arrest in the United States, Police Scotland conducted a search of the facility.

A representative for the police stated that following an investigation, McInally was reported to the procurator fiscal concerning alleged violations of the Sexual Offences (Scotland Act) 2009.

Read more from Sky News:
Member of paedophile gang to appeal conviction
Child abuse and grooming gangs: What we know

The US Attorney’s Office reported that this case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative established in 2005 by the Department of Justice to “combat the rising epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.”

A spokesperson remarked: “Project Safe Childhood consolidates federal, state, and local resources to track down, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children sexually, as well as to identify and rescue victims.”



Source link

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.