Canadian Man Accused Of Sexually Exploiting Children Online

BEREA, OH — A Canadian man has been accused of exploiting children online and having sexually explicit online chats with minors, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley announced this week.

Between March and April 2019, Carl Kirk, 73, from Canada, spoke with undercover agents (thinking they were children) and tried to arrange meetups for sexual activity, the prosecutor's office said. He was then taken into custody by the Internet Child Exploitation Unit in the Region of Peel, Canada.

“This case is a prime example that shows our children are not only targeted here locally, but internationally as well,” said O’Malley. “The strength of the ICAC Task Force lies in our ability to partner with local, state, federal and international law enforcement agencies to stop the online exploitation of children whenever these offenders try to cross state lines or international borders.”

Law enforcement believe Kirk may have talked with several American children in sexually explicit ways. Anyone who has had contact with Kirk should call the Internet Child Exploitation Unit in Canada at (905)-453-2121 ext. 3490, or Ohio ICAC at (440)-886-5284.

On July 31, Kirk was charged by Canadian authorities with:

• 3 counts of Luring Child to Commit Sexual Assault
• 3 counts of Luring Child to Commit Sexual Interference
• 3 counts of Luring Child to Commit Invitation to Sexual Touching
• 3 counts of Luring to Distribute Sexually Explicit Material to a Child
• 2 counts of Luring a Child to Attempt to Make Child Pornography

He was investigated by the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children task force, the Canadian authorities, and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.

This is the second international case the Ohio ICAC has investigated this year. In February, a Berea man was accused of coercing children from around the U.S. and Australia to send him nude images.