A former gymnastics coach who pled guilty in December to two charges in connection with his arrest for child exploitation was sentenced to 30 years in jail Monday.
William Allen McCabe, who operated Savannah Metro Gymnastics and Cheerleading in Rincon, pled guilty to sexual exploitation of children and making false statements to federal agents. He faced 19 charges in all, but the other 17 were dismissed in conjunction with his guilty plea.
McCabe was arrested in March after it was discovered he sent suggestive e-mails to an 11-year-old girl. McCabe coached girls ranging in age from 4 to 17.
Officers searched his home, and in June, McCabe was charged with possession of child pornography. Another search of a storage unit uncovered dozens of e-mails in a shoe box.
McCabe did face 10 counts of transporting child pornography and a count of witness tampering by asking a former girlfriend to lie to federal agents.
McCabe, a longtime gymnastics coach, opened Savannah Metro in January 2003.
Under his federal indictment, McCabe was initially charged with 10 counts of transporting child pornography in interstate commerce, three counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, one count of transportation of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. McCabe was also indicted on one count of witness tampering.
Had he faced trial and been convicted, McCabe faced a maximum penalty of 15 to 30 years in prision with respect to one of the counts charging him with sexual exploitation of children; 10 to 20 years imprisonment for two of the counts charging him with sexual exploitation of children; five to 30 years imprisonment for the transportation of a minor with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity charge and the enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity charge; up to 30 years imprisonment for traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct; five to 20 years imprisonment for the transportation of child pornography charge; up to 10 years imprisonment for the possession of child pornography charge and the witness tampering charge; a maximum of five years imprisonment for the false statements charge.