SAN DIEGO (CNS) — A former San Diego State University police officer pleaded guilty Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles to possessing child sex abuse material, including some involving children between 6 and 8 years of age.
Paul Aurelio McClain, 46, formerly a sergeant with the campus police department, entered a plea to the federal indictment's sole count, possession of child pornography.
He is expected to be sentenced on June 24, at which time he will face up to 20 years imprisonment, lifetime supervised release, plus fines and restitution, prosecutors said.
According to an affidavit included with a criminal complaint lodged against McClain, investigators discovered that multiple videos depicting children being sexually abused were downloaded at McClain's home in Riverside County. The videos were discovered on an external hard drive on McClain's desk at the residence, according to the affidavit.
A description of one of the videos states that two girls depicted in the footage appear to be "approximately 6 to 8 years old."
The affidavit states that McClain had been with the campus police department since at least 2023 and that his assignment at SDSU did not include investigating crimes such as child exploitation or child pornography.
McClain was identified by investigators between July and August of 2024 when a U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agent was conducting an undercover operation on a peer-to-peer network. Child pornography files found during the investigation totaled more than 600 images, McClain's plea agreement states.
A statement issued by SDSU police after McClain's March 2025 arrest said an unnamed campus officer had been arrested for suspected possession of child pornography and that "upon learning of the allegations, UPD immediately initiated actions to terminate the officer."
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