EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A retired Army combat medic was sentenced in federal court in San Antonio to 50 years in prison for two counts of sexual exploitation of children, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Eric Scott McCants, 47, produced sexually explicit videos involving prepubescent children and shared them in a child exploitation group on a social networking application in July 2021.
FBI agents seized his phone and discovered additional sexually explicit videos, some of which depicted a second minor female and dated back to as early as October 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
McCants was arrested on Aug. 13, 2021, and indicted on Sept. 1, 2021, for four counts related to the production, possession and distribution of child pornography. He pleaded guilty Aug. 7 to two counts of sexual exploitation of children, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for each count. He will also pay $100,000 in restitution to the two victims.
McCants was stationed at Fort Bliss from 2011 to 2016 before being transferred by the Army to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charges cover a period of time beginning in 2018.
“This 50-year sentence sends a clear message that the sexual exploitation of children has lasting traumatic effects on vulnerable victims and will not be tolerated in the Western District,” said U.S. Attorney for West Texas Jaime Esparza. “Thank you to our federal law enforcement partners at the FBI for their diligence in this investigation and their dedication to protecting the children of our communities.”
“The details of this case and McCants’ exploitation of minors are horrific, and we hope this sentence will allow his victims some measure of comfort in knowing he will never be able to hurt another child,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “We are dedicated to stopping predators who harm our most vulnerable citizens and want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their continued assistance in keeping our communities safe.”
The FBI investigated the case.
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