American man accused of grooming, luring B.C. teen through social media
An American man has been arrested following the alleged luring of a Canadian teenager.
Mounties in Surrey said the investigation conducted by the detachment and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security began earlier this fall.
They allege the man used social media to communicate with a 14-year-old who lived in Surrey, B.C., starting in September.
Police said the man, who they say was a 35-year-old resident of Oregon, used an alias, but did not give details on that alias.
They also did not say which social media platform the man allegedly used to contact the teen.
"He then allegedly groomed the youth for a sexual purpose, and coerced them to create, and distribute self-exploitive sexual material," the RCMP detachment said in a statement Wednesday.
Officers didn't say how exactly the case came to their attention, but said investigators worked with the victim to gather evidence.
That evidence suggested the person who'd been contacting the teen was based south of the border, Mounties said, so Homeland Security Investigations agents were brought in on the case.
These HSI agents identified more victims, according to the RCMP, then named Kevin McCarty as their suspect.
He was arrested in California on Nov. 18, and is facing charges in the U.S. The charges include sexual exploitation of children, distribution of child pornography, cyberstalking and online enticement of a minor. The criminal complaint filed in Oregon also includes the charge of transferring obscene material to a minor.
Police on both sides of the border have not said how the suspect was identified, nor have they said how many victims have been connected to the investigation.
The allegations against McCarty have not been proven in court.
Additionally, evidence allegedly uncovered in this investigation will be used in a larger police operation – called Project Arachnid – the goal of which is to stop the distribution of child pornography.
"This can help address victims' fears that someone they know may come across their image on the internet," Surrey RCMP Cpl. Danielle Pollock said in Wednesday's news release.
The project is a Canada-wide initiative that works to detect child sexual abuse material and notify the provider hosting the content that it needs to be removed.
According to the team behind it, the system is able to process tens of thousands of images per second. Images that require assessment are then flagged for an analyst. As of Nov. 1, more than nine million notices have been sent to providers. About 85 per cent of the notices issued relate to victims who are not known to have been identified by police.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.