Child Pornographer Arrested In Rocky River Park

LAKEWOOD, OH — Police arrested a Canadian man in a Rocky River park for soliciting nude images from minors. The man, Joseph B. Haggerty, 49, flew from Toronto to Cleveland to meet a teenager at Linden Park, according to law enforcement. It was there that police arrested the 49-year-old.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) got a tip that Haggery had been trying to get nude images from minors and followed him once he arrived in Cleveland. He had a reservation at the Days Inn on Lake Avenue in Lakewood. He was carrying a bag with clothing, 12 condoms, a stuffed animal and a package of baby pacifiers.

The teenager he met at Linden Park told law enforcement she met Haggerty on Kik, a messaging app, in December 2016. The two then talked via Skype. During the hours-long calls, Haggerty would tell her to strip naked and then engage in sexually explicit conduct.(Subscribe to the Patch Lakewood newsletter for local news and updates.)

“This defendant victimized at least one child and possibly many more,” Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja said in a statement. “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.”

The teenager told her family that she was going on a camping trip. However, she was actually planning on spending the weekend with Haggerty at his Lakewood hotel. Law enforcement arrested Haggerty before that happened.

After Haggerty was in custody, HSI contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Internet Child Exploitation Unit which executed search warrants at Haggerty's house. The Mounties found nude images of the Ohio girl, contact information for a child in Texas, and evidence of at least five other potential victims.

Haggerty has been charged with production of child pornography.

“Through our partnerships with state, local, federal and international law enforcement agencies, HSI will continue to vigorously investigate child exploitation cases like this one to ensure that special agents continue to serve as a powerful barrier between predators and children," said Steve Francis, special agent in charge of HSI’s Detroit Office, which includes Ohio.

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