Attorney General James Uthmeier Announces Arrest of Holly Hill Teacher for Possession of Child, Animal Sexual Abuse Materials

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution is charging David McKeown of Holly Hill with 19 enhanced felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and six counts of possession of animal pornography. McKeown was arrested today by the Holly Hill Police Department. He is a sixth-grade teacher at UBIC Academy in Holly Hill.

“As a teacher, parents trusted Mr. McKeown to impart knowledge to their children. Instead, he spent parts of the school day sending and receiving child sex abuse material and providing other pedophiles with UBIC Academy students’ personal information,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “What he did is beyond betrayal—it’s devastating and sick. Our Office of Statewide Prosecution will aggressively pursue justice for these children and their parents.”

The investigation began on June 2, 2025, after the Holly Hill Police Department received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which alerts law enforcement to reports of sexual exploitation of children on the Internet.

Based on messages sent by McKeown, law enforcement believes he utilized artificial intelligence technology to create CSAM with real children, some of whom may have attended UBIC Academy. Initial search warrants revealed that McKeown was disseminating, downloading, and communicating with users on Discord—a popular group chat service—during school hours and while connected to the UBIC Academy Wi-Fi. During these exchanges, he shared 19 images of CSAM and nine images of himself engaging in sexual acts with the family pet.

Detectives seized multiple electronic devices for further review. This investigation is active and ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming.

Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Johnna Lessard will handle the case.

The Holly Hill Police Department arrested McKeown, and he is currently held at the Volusia County Branch Jail without bond. He faces up to 315 years in prison if convicted of these crimes.

If you are the parent/guardian of a current or former student and believe your child may have been involved in this case, please contact Victim Advocate Coordinator Daisy Gonzalez at 386-248-9435. Anyone with information regarding this case should contact Detective Corporal Kelsey Palm at 386-492-0415 or by email at Kpalm@hollyhillpd.org.

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