A year after pleading not guilty to federal charges of possession of child pornography, a Menifee resident changed his plea to guilty on Wednesday and faces up to 20 years in federal prison, authorities said.
Paul Aurelio McClain, 46, was a San Diego State University police officer when he was arrested at his Menifee home on March 13, 2025. Federal agents served search warrants at his home and sized multiple digital devices, including a hard driving containing illicit photos of girls who appeared to be 8-10 years old, according to a news release Wednesday by the California Central District of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
McClain entered a not guilty plea in April 2025 and has been in federal custody ever since. He changed his plea to guilty as part of a plea agreement.
According to court documents, investigators conducting an undercover operation in July and August 2024 identified an IP address linked to McClain’s home. That IP address was used to obtain sexually explicit material involving a girl who appeared to be 6-8 years old.
“McClain admitted he knowingly downloaded and possessed the files and that they depicted real children, including prepubescent minors,” the news release stated.
McClain is expected to be sentenced June 24.
