Man traveled over 100 miles to WA hotel intending to sexually abuse kids, feds say
A man is accused of traveling over 100 miles from Oregon to Washington to sexually abuse two children, federal prosecutors said.
But the children were fictitious, and Marc David McCool was greeted by law enforcement instead, according to prosecutors, who said McCool is now heading to prison.
The 64-year-old, from Portland, was sentenced to four years behind bars in connection with traveling with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington said in a May 20 news release.
McClatchy News reached out to McCool's attorney for comment May 20 and was awaiting a response.
During sentencing, McCool said 'his life has been forever changed' and he hopes to undergo treatment during his time behind bars, per the news release.
In 2024, an undercover agent – posing as a 'taboo mommy' – posted an ad online as part of an operation to find people with 'a sexualized interest in children,' according to a plea agreement.
Interested parties were asked to respond to a Kik account, the plea agreement said.
McCool reached out and said he'd travel for sexual activity with the 'mom's' two young kids, the plea agreement said.
'Over more than six weeks of 'chats' via the Kik messenger app, McCool described his sexual interest in children,' prosecutors said.
He eventually took a train to Seattle to meet the agent and 'kids' at a hotel 'for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity,' the plea agreement said.
Agents arrested him there, according to the plea agreement, which said he had stuffed animals, condoms, baby oil and rope with him.
McClatchy News couldn't immediately reach MediaLab, which owns Kik, on May 20 for comment.
McCool's prison time is to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, prosecutors said.
Man used Instagram to lure girls with drugs, alcohol for sex acts, CA cops say
Postal worker goes to Alaska motel to meet 'teen,' but it was a setup, feds say
Man planned Halloween 'sex party' to abuse child, feds say. He's convicted in FL
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Future police officers take part in teen academy
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — School may be out for the summer, but it's not stopping 100 local teenagers from spending two weeks learning what it takes to become a police officer. The 10th annual Pikes Peak Regional Law Enforcement Teen Academy highlights the jobs of those who serve and protect the community. For students like Brooke Ankrun, the training is preparing her for life after high school. 'Growing up, I would always dress up as a cop for Halloween, and my mom's best friend was actually a cop, and I thought she was the coolest lady in town,' said Ankrun, a Junior at Palmer Ridge High School. 'I'm definitely going to go into the criminal justice field. As of right now, I don't know if it's going to be law enforcement, but it's definitely going to be working with crime, so maybe the federal level or maybe the courtroom.' The Teen Academy, now in its 10th year, offers an exciting and educational experience for young adults to explore the inner workings of regional law enforcement agencies in El Paso County through day-long instruction and hands-on scenarios. Participants gain exposure to a wide range of law enforcement functions, including Patrol Operations, Tactical Enforcement Unit/SWAT, K-9 Unit, Mounted Patrol, Explosives Unit, Criminal Investigations (Narcotics, Investigations, Crime Lab), drone operations, search and rescue, and crisis negotiation. The hands-on activities and realistic scenarios help bring the topics taught to life. Cory Adkisson has been a School Resource Officer for the last six years. He tells FOX21 students who go through the academy act as another line of defense, should the unthinkable happen. 'It helps tremendously because all the teens who have gone through this academy just get it,' Adkisson explained. 'They have a lot bigger picture of what we're looking at and why it's important for us to know things ahead of time, and they will be more I think, more likely to come to us with information.' As a School Resource Officer, he believes the academy is helping him connect to students. 'I still remember the first day Brooke came and talked to me and started expressing her interest in learning more about law enforcement and what we do,' said Adkisson. 'It's things like that, I mean, making that connection and being able to find some common ground where we get to just bond and grow together is huge.' These two are inseparable, and now Brooke Ankrun is encouraging more young women to do what they are passionate about. 'I feel as though growing up there's been a bit of [stigma] around women going into law enforcement because there's, you know, it's like this girl against like a big bad guy and stuff and I feel like we need to shed more light that women can do it and they can be strong,' said Ankrun. A $500 scholarship will be awarded each week to one academy attendee, and there is also the opportunity for all participating teens to earn college credit through Pikes Peak State College by participating in this teen academy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Honolulu police investigate alleged child abuse after viral video
Honolulu police said they have opened an investigation into a case of alleged child abuse after a video went viral on social media. On Thursday evening, a witness scrolling through Instagram saw a post of a woman allegedly assaulting a girl. The witness was able to identify the woman and child and called 911. The Honolulu Police Department said today that officers have identified a 34-year-old woman as the child's mother, and taken her two children – an 11-year-old, autistic girl and a 3-year-old boy—into police custody and transferred them to Child Welfare Services. The viral post, shared on @hhnewz, asked, 'What would you do in this situation if you saw this ??' as a woman seated in a car at Kapolei Commons appears to yank the child by her hair so that she falls onto her knees on the pavement in a parking lot, in front of an open car door. HPD's strategic enforcement detail located the mother, along with the child and her brother, at about 10 a.m. today in the Kapolei area. Police said the Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, Domestic Violence Section, have been notified, and are working to pursue charges against the mother. No arrests have been made, pending the ongoing investigation. 'The Honolulu Police Department takes abuse allegations seriously and urges the public to report incidents by calling 911 or visiting any police station, open 24 /7, ' HPD officials said in a social media post. See more : 3 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? .
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump Appoints 22-Year-Old Ex-Gardener and Grocery Store Assistant to Lead U.S. Terror Prevention
The inexperienced 22-year-old reportedly tasked by Donald Trump with tackling U.S. extremism was working as a neighborhood gardener just five years ago and in a grocery store as recently as August 2023, the Daily Beast can reveal. Thomas Fugate, who graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio just 12 months ago, is currently heading up the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships at the DHS, as first reported by ProPublica Tuesday. The center, also known as CP3, plays a vital role supporting nationwide efforts to combat terrorism and hate-fueled violence. But according to the youngster's LinkedIn page, Fugate has almost no experience in this field—and in 2020 was working as a self-employed 'Landscape Business Owner.' There isn't much else on his resumé to suggest Fugate has the requisite skills to weed out terrorists. Prior to his work as a gardener—while studying for a degree in politics and law—Fugate worked at an H-E-B supermarket in Austin, Texas, as a 'Cross Functional Team Member.' According to his LinkedIn, he would 'perform various activities around every department of the store, fulfilling key duties contributing to store operations.' Since leaving college, Fugate has had a meteoric rise in the political world, having served as an 'advance team member' on President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign, according to his LinkedIn page. An avowed Republican, he also interned at the Heritage Foundation, the think tank behind Project 2025, and for Texas Representatives Terry Wilson and Steve Allison. Fugate was reportedly hired as a 'special assistant' in an immigration office at the DHS in February, according to ProPublica. He then took over CP3 after its previous director quit. Fugate did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast's request for comment. 'Tom Fugate has performed well in his current role as a Confidential Assistant in our Immigration & Border Security suboffice,' a senior DHS official told The Daily Beast. 'Due to his success, he has been temporarily given additional leadership responsibilities in the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships office (CP3). This is a credit to his work ethic and success on the job.' Fugate set up a political Instagram account last year, where his profile contains the motto, 'Men used to do great things. I believe they still can.' He has posted a number of photos from the campaign trail and his time in Washington, D.C. He also posted a video that showed him with a host of lesser lights in the Republican party, including the disgraced former congressman Madison Cawthorn, Kennedy Center President Ric Grenell, and MAGA personality Riley Gaines. He is also pictured with Texas Governor Greg Abbott and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. An older account in the name of Trey Fugate on X suggests that he was a fan of LEGO and Star Wars. He used the social media account to call on Texas politicians 'to protect the international affairs budget!' and 'Help the global poor, save lives.' That was just two years before he launched his new MAGA personality with the thomas4texas Instagram account, saying: 'Legend has it that Thomas Fugate didn't start the fire 🔥, but that is always been burning since the world's been turning 🤔. Welcome all to my new account for public service, community involvement, and politics 🇺🇸. Recently things have got to the point where I felt like my main account has become too focused on politics, so I wanted to switch things up!' The plethora of selfies and portraits plastered across his social media accounts suggest that the wryly arched eyebrow Fugate chose for his LinkedIn profile—a photograph taken in front of the seal of the Department of Homeland Security—was very much a knowing choice from a young man who seems to think he is destined for the top.
