A former director of the youth ministry at Fort Leonard Wood U.S. Army Base pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually abusing four minors between 2010 and 2017.
David McKay, 42, of Waynesville, Missouri, pleaded guilty to four counts of sexually abusing a minor and one count of transporting a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to a press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The former youth director, also a first sergeant in the Missouri National Guard, admitted to committing sexual offenses against four children whose ages ranged from 11 to 17 at the time, the DOJ stated. Dozens of such occasions reportedly took place in the period from 2010 to 2017.
#NEW: Former Director of Youth Ministry at Fort Leonard Wood pleads guilty to sexually abusing 4 minors. Under federal statutes, McKay is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison without parole and up to a sentence of life in prison. https://t.co/nTz1Qwk13Y
— FBI Kansas City (@FBIKansasCity) April 29, 2021
McKay’s victims reported being molested on camping trips at Fort Leonard Wood and during ski trips to Colorado, with other instances of sexual abuse occurring at various locations within Pulaski County, according to the DOJ. (RELATED: Babysitter Charged For Killing 1-Year-Old Son Of US Soldier Reportedly Told Police He Used ‘Wrestling-Style Moves’)
McKay now faces the minimum sentence of 10 years and up to a life sentence in federal prison without parole. A court hearing has yet to be scheduled.