A 49-year old St. Stephen man is facing production of child pornography charges in the United States according to a press release from the US Department of Justice.
Joseph Haggerty flew from Toronto to Cleveland, Ohio on August 10th, where he had been in contact with a minor he met online in December 2016.
Authorities followed Haggerty to a park, where he met with a minor female.
He had a reservation at a motel, and was carrying a bag with clothing, a dozen condoms, a stuffed animal and a package of baby pacifiers.
The minor he met in Rocky River told agents she met Haggerty on Kik in December 2016 and they subsequently communicated via Skype.
She said the calls would last hours and Haggerty would direct her to strip naked and engage in sexually explicit conduct, according to the affidavit.
The girl told her relatives she was going on a camping trip for the weekend but actually planned to go the Lakewood hotel with Haggerty, according to the affidavit.
After US authorities reached out, RCMP in St. Stephen searched Haggerty’s home.
They discovered nude images of the Ohio minor, contact information for another child in Texas, and evidence of an estimated five other potential victims.
“This defendant victimized at least one child and possibly many more,” Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja said. “This case is another stark reminder to parents that they need to know who their children are communicating with on social media and in real life.”
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