A Clackamas County, Oregon, man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on Oct. 13, for using social media to stalk three children online and coerce them into producing and sharing sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves.
Kevin Robert McCarty, 37, of Happy Valley, Oregon, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison followed by supervised release in the United States.
The charges stemmed from an extensive RCMP investigation, involving members from three separate detachments, and other police agencies.
The children involved are from the Comox Valley, West Shore, and Surrey.
In May 2021, the Comox Valley RCMP received information that a local youth was being sexually exploited online.
As a result of their investigation, a suspect was identified in the U.S. and over the next several months additional reports were received by the West Shore RCMP, Surrey RCMP and other municipal police agencies. Police notified U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, who took the lead in the case, with assistance from investigators in the various Canadian jurisdictions.
The investigation revealed that McCarty had coerced the youth to send sexually explicit photos to him. When the youth refused to send more photos of themselves, McCarty threatened the youth victims by stating he would send the photos they already had of the youth to their friends and family members. On at least two occasions, McCarty told his victims they could either comply with his demands or commit suicide.
“Online exploitation poses a grave threat to the well-being of our youth, and this case highlights the importance of cross-border co-operation in combating these crimes. We commend the dedication and collaboration of our investigative unit and counterparts in Canada and the United States in ensuring that justice is served,” stated Insp. Mike Kurvers, Officer in Charge of the Comox Valley RCMP Detachment. “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.”
The Comox Valley Major Crime Unit comprises five investigators who are supported by an experienced and proficient criminal analyst. They specialize in tackling intricate and high-profile criminal cases, including homicides, robberies, sexual assaults, and child pornography. These investigators focus on meticulous crime scene analysis and evidence collection. Their work is crucial for ensuring thorough investigations and upholding public safety in the face of serious offences.
“Supporting at-risk youth is the priority of the West Shore RCMP Youth Outreach officer who partners with the Pacific Centre Family Services Association,” said Cpl. Chris Dovell, in charge of Community Policing at West Shore RCMP. “We are very proud of the hard work that went into this investigation from both Canadian police agencies and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.”
The West Shore RCMP Youth Outreach Team comprises a police officer and youth counsellor from Pacific Centre Family Services Association. Both members of this team have experience in working with at-risk youth and regularly work together to provide support to youth and their families.
“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, 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.”
In 2020, Surrey RCMP implemented the first RCMP detachment level dedicated Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit. The unit now consists of seven full time investigators who specialize in these very important, sensitive and complex investigations.
For more information see the press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
For information on how to keep you children safe online please visit the Get Cyber Safe website.
READ ALSO: B.C. man sentenced to 6.5 years over sexual exploitation, child porn charges
READ ALSO: 47 Canadians charged in global online child sex exploitation investigation