'Either comply with his demands or commit suicide': U.S. man sentenced for exploiting B.C. kids
A 37-year-old Oregon man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for using social media to stalk three British Columbia children, eventually coercing them to produce and share sexually explicit images with him.
The United States District Attorney's Office in Oregon says Kevin Robert McCarty, of Happy Valley, Ore., used the online alias "Robbie MacKenzie" on Snapchat and Instagram to convince the children to create and send explicit pictures and videos of themselves.
Agents with the United States Department of Homeland Security began investigating McCarty in September 2021 and found his crimes dated back to July 2020.
"Once the children sent McCarty photos or videos, he demanded more," the attorney's office said in a statement.
"If the children refused, McCarty threatened to send the photos and videos he had already obtained to the minor victims' friends and families, which he did on several occasions. On at least two occasions, McCarty told his victims they could either comply with his demands or commit suicide."
The Comox Valley RCMP say they were alerted to a local youth being sexually exploited as early as May 2021, and as their investigation progressed, they received similar reports from Mounties in Surrey and the West Shore of Vancouver Island.
McCarty was charged on Nov. 16, 2021, with sexually exploiting children, distributing child pornography, cyberstalking, enticing a child online, and transferring obscene material to a minor.
Two days later, Homeland Security agents searched the home he shared with his mother, sister and sister's family, according to the U.S. attorney's office. McCarty was arrested while visiting a cousin in California the same day.
The Oregon man pleaded guilty to one count of enticing a minor online and two counts of sexually exploiting children on Feb. 15 of this year, and was sentenced to prison on Oct. 13.
"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," Comox Valley RCMP Insp. Mike Kurvers said in a statement Thursday.
"We commend the dedication and collaboration of our investigative unit and counterparts in Canada and the United States in ensuring that justice is served."
Sgt. Dave Knight of the Surrey RCMP's internet child exploitation unit says the conviction and 20-year sentence proves that online predators cannot find anonymity by committing their crimes across international borders.
"Our investigators recognize the value in building strong working relationships with international partner agencies," Knight said. "This enables us to successfully target offenders as we work towards the common goal of keeping our children safe from online exploitation."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.5887859.1651670693!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
LIVE Donald Trump announces Ohio Sen. JD Vance as VP pick
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced on his Truth Social Network that Ohio Sen. JD Vance will be his vice presidential pick.
DEVELOPING Motive of man who tried to assassinate Donald Trump remains elusive
Former U.S. president Donald Trump called for unity and resilience after an attempt on his life injected fresh uncertainty into an already tumultuous presidential campaign, while President Joe Biden implored Americans to 'cool it down' in the final stretch and 'resolve our differences at the ballot box.'
Who is JD Vance? Things to know about Donald Trump's pick for vice president
Former President Donald Trump on Monday chose U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio to be his running mate as he looks to return to the White House.
The biggest questions the U.S. Secret Service will have to answer, according to a former special agent in charge
A former U.S. Secret Service agent says those involved in Donald Trump's security detail will have some questions to answer following an assassination attempt.
Trucker who caused Broncos crash applies to have permanent resident status returned
The truck driver who caused the deadly Humboldt Broncos bus crash has applied to have his permanent resident status returned.
Sask. TikTok star Bella Brave dies after latest hospitalization
Sask. TikTok star "Be Brave" Bella Thomson has died. She was 10-years-old.
Corus Entertainment says ongoing job cuts will amount to 25% of full-time positions
Corus Entertainment Inc. says it expects to have slashed 25 per cent of its full-time workforce by the end of next month compared with the beginning of its 2023 fiscal year, as the company continues to "aggressively cut costs."
Days are getting longer because of climate change, according to NASA
Rising sea levels are making each day slightly longer, and there's no sign it's going to stop, a new study funded in part by NASA and the Canadian government has found.
Ontario accelerates alcohol expansion plans amid ongoing LCBO strike
As the LCBO strike enters its second week, the Ontario government is speeding up its alcohol expansion plans, announcing licensed grocery stores will be able to start selling ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages as of July 18.