Scot jailed in US for child abuse images 'will be investigated by other police forces'

A Scottish paedophile who was snared on a family holiday to Florida with thousands of child abuse images will be “followed up on” by prosecutors across the country and beyond, according to one of the top legal officials in the state.

Steven McInally was told he would spend 25 years behind bars in the US after pleading guilty to transporting and possessing images of children being abused.

The 36-year-old from Tollcross in Glasgow was arrested at Orlando International Airport in Florida on August 25, 2023, after arriving on holiday and being subjected to a border search.

Speaking exclusively to STV News, Roger Handberg, the US Attorney for Middle District Florida, where McInally was sentenced, said: “When you have somebody who has over 3,900 images of child sexual abuse material, it hard to see that this is an isolated incident.

“I don’t think that this is going to be the end of the story, as often in these cases when you have these types of serious allegations, prosecutors in different jurisdictions are going to follow up on them, and one of the things we are committed to doing is cooperating with any prosecutor who is interested in following up on one of these cases.”

McInally previously owned Go Wild soft play in Bridgeton, which Police Scotland raided after his detention in Florida.

Investigators sent a report into McInally to the Procurator Fiscal for consideration, though no charges have been brought.

STV News understands McInally’s travel alerted Border Force agents in the US, who detained him before discovering the photos on his iPhone.

“The facts of these cases are often terrible, and this is an example of someone who was working with children in his job, was obviously around children on a regular basis flying into the United States and through the great work of law enforcement was found to have in his possession images of child sexual abuse material including some that were linked back to his particular house,” said Handberg.

McInally will now spend 25 years behind bars, though his risk category and, therefore, which prison he is sent to is still to be determined.

“In the American judicial system, defendants serve the entirety of their sentence, there is an allowance of up to 15% for good behaviour, but the sentences that are imposed are the sentences that will be served.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Following an investigation, a 36-year-old man was subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal in connection with offences under the Sexual Offences Scotland Act 2009.”