Former SDSU Cop Paul McClain Had More Than 600 Files of Child Sexual Abuse Material. He Got 46 Months in Prison.

 

Former Campus Cop Paul McClain Had More Than 600 Files of Child Sexual Abuse Material

Paul Aurelio McClain was a former sergeant with the San Diego State University Police Department.

In 2025, federal agents searched his home and discovered an external hard drive and other devices containing more than 600 files of child sexual abuse material.

According to federal authorities, the material depicted prepubescent children, including girls as young as 6 years old. Investigators also discovered a recording from a hidden camera placed inside a bathroom in McClain's home.

In March 2026, McClain pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, the statutory name of the federal offense.

He was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution to identified victims.

McClain had spent years wearing a badge.

Federal prosecutors emphasized that his former law-enforcement career made the conduct particularly serious.

Behind every one of those files was a child whose abuse became something another person could possess, save, and watch.

More than 600 files. Children as young as six. That is what should remain at the center of this story.