James Daniel McGee, 36, of Savannah, Tennessee, was sentenced on Apr. 23 to 35 years in federal prison for using the internet to entice a minor and for committing this offense while required to register as a sex offender under Tennessee law. The sentencing was announced by D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about child safety online and the risks posed by repeat offenders who use social media and technology to target minors.
McGee had previously been convicted in May 2013 of solicitation of a minor and exploitation of a minor by electronic means in Hardin County, Tennessee. He was removed from the state’s sex offender registry in September 2024 after completing the required ten-year period. However, investigators learned that beginning in July 2024 he communicated with a fifteen-year-old girl from Campbell, Missouri through social media and text messages. In August and November of that year, McGee traveled between Tennessee and Missouri to engage in sexual acts with her at both locations.
Authorities found the minor at McGee’s home following his second trip. She told police she met McGee on Facebook earlier that year; he asked her for nude photos and videos under threat that she would get into “deep trouble” if she refused. She also confirmed that McGee videotaped them having sexual intercourse at his home.
After pleading guilty to these charges, United States District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced McGee to thirty-five years in prison without parole plus ten years supervised release. He is also facing related state charges in Hardin County (Tennessee) and Dunklin County (Missouri).
Dunavant said: “With the proliferation of cell phones and social media, vulnerable children are at a high risk of solicitation and enticement for sex. This office will always aggressively prosecute and seek significant and mandatory sentences for such recidivist and predatory behavior in order to protect children and hold offenders accountable.”
The investigation involved members of several agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; police departments from Savannah (Tennessee) and Campbell (Missouri); as well as Dunklin County Sheriff’s Office (Missouri). Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee advances community safety through federal law enforcement efforts according to its official website. The office is one among ninety-three under the Department of Justice according to its official website, handling prosecutions of federal crimes along with civil matters according to its official website. It serves western Tennessee according to its official website from offices located in Memphis and Jackson according to its official website, tracing its origins back over two centuries according to its official website.