American gets 20 years in prison after BC kids coerced into sending sexually explicit photos
Editor’s note: This story contains disturbing details and mentions of suicide. If you are in crisis, call 911 or 310-Mental Health.
A man has been sentenced to two decades in US federal prison after he was found guilty in an investigation into child exploitation in Canada.
Since 2021, Mounties became aware that the man was using social media to stalk three children online and coerce them into sharing explicit photos and videos of themselves. If the children refused, they were threatened that other sensitive photos would be shared with their family and friends.
“They could either comply with his demands or commit suicide,” an RCMP statement on the investigation reads in part.
The investigation spanned from Vancouver Island’s Comox Valley and Victoria areas to Surrey, and RCMP from those jurisdictions worked together on several reports and then notified US Homeland Security Investigations.
Kevin Robert McCarty, 37, of Happy Valley, Oregon, was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by supervised release.
“Online predators may think that committing these crimes across borders will ensure their anonymity, however, the outcome of this investigation proves contrary,” said Surrey RCMP Internet Child Exploitation Unit’s Sgt. Dave Knight.
“Our investigators recognize the value in building strong working relationships with international partner agencies. This enables us to successfully target offenders as we work towards the common goal of keeping our children safe from online exploitation,” Knight added.
“Special recognition is also extended to our invaluable criminal analyst whose expertise played a pivotal role in this investigation. Her meticulous work significantly contributed to the successful outcome.”
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