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
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
BREAKING Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.