A former Oregon City teacher's aide who admitted abusing at least five children and called himself "a monster" was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison Monday.

James Ian McGlothlin, 41, also will face a lifetime of federal supervision after his release from prison.

The sentence resolves both federal charges of producing child pornography and state charges of sexual abuse and official misconduct filed in Clackamas County.

James McGlothlin

In a personal journal seized by investigators, McGlothlin admitted he was a pedophile with intense sexual interests in very young girls.

"I am a monster. I hate the way I am. I hate the way I feel," he wrote, according to court records.

The federal charges involved abuse of a friend's infant he was babysitting and the young daughter of a relative. The state charges involved the abuse of three disabled children while working as an instructional assistant for adapted physical education in the Oregon City School District.

The relative told U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman that McGlothlin touched her daughter in a swimming pool, drugged the girl with Benadryl, masturbated into pudding and made a video of the girl consuming it. He also superimposed the girl's smiling face on a pornographic image, she said.

"How do you explain to a kindergartner that a doctor has to swab every orifice of your entire body,'' the mother said, referring to the forensic exam her daughter had to withstand while she had to stay out of the room.

McGlothlin's "selfish and disgusting acts" shattered her trust in humanity, the mother said.

"I will never feel that they are safe again,'' she said of her children. At sports games, the mother said she scans the crowd for any adult who doesn't seem to belong or is taking an unusual number of photos. At school, she looks with skepticism upon anyone who showers her child with praise. At church, she's tense and hypervigilant about who has contact with her kids.

According to court records, McGlothlin had plotted during a sleepover and a joint family vacation to have access to the girl. McGlothin was married with a young son at the time.

Federal agents and members of the Interagency Child Exploitation Prevention Team first learned of McGlothlin's actions while investigating an online bulletin board service used to advertise and distribute child pornography.

When investigators searched McGlothlin's property on Feb. 16, 2016, they seized his laptop and found child pornography, including video and still images of him abusing an infant, court records show.

They also discovered "odd and disturbing" items in a locked file cabinet in the garage, including a bottle of children's Benadryl, children's underwear, a headless doll dressed in children's clothing and headshots of young girls, according to court records.

Within days of the search, McGlothlin called the father of one victim and the grandmother of another to apologize, according to court records. He also sought sex offender treatment.

When defense lawyer Noah Horst first met with McGlothlin, Horst said, "he was crying. His head was on the table." McGlothin told him he was a monster and wanted help, Horst told the judge. He said his client keeps a photo of his now 4-year-old son in front of him to help him get through his prison time.

In addition to the two victims in the federal cases, McGlothlin pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual abuse of three disabled children in the Oregon City school program. He abused them in a pool while they were under his care, prosecutors said.

Multnomah County prosecutors agreed not to bring additional charges against McGlothlin as part of the plea deal.

His mother, Linda McGlothlin, addressing her son at the sentencing, told him she loved him. She said she was proud her son was willing to accept responsibility for his crimes and accept help.

"Even though your actions are wrong'' she said, "we will not abandon you."

James McGlothlin sat stonefaced beside his lawyer at the defense table. He looked straight ahead throughout the proceeding, not turning to make contact with his mom or the victim's mother who spoke. He also declined to make any statement to the judge.

Once he completes his sentence and is on supervision, he's been ordered not to visit any park, school, playground, childcare facility or any location where there are children under the age of 18. He also is not allowed any direct contact with any child under 18 without his probation officer's permission. He'll have computer monitoring software placed on his computer, be subject to periodic polygraph tests and required to undergo sex offender treatment.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian