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Son of former Seattle Mayor accused of child sexual exploitation
The son of Seattle’s former mayor is facing charges of sexual exploitation of children. Local investigators got a tip about suspect Jack McGinn possessing at least a hundred clips of child pornography on his home computer.
SEATTLE - The son of Seattle’s former mayor is facing charges of sexual exploitation of children.
Local investigators got a tip about suspect Jack McGinn possessing at least a hundred clips of child pornography on his home computer.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said McGinn was arrested Friday morning, and a probable cause hearing was held Saturday. In court documents from prosecutors, detectives said McGinn told them his drug addiction is why he sexually gratifies himself with child pornography.
"Any time that you have a case where children are victims, it’s especially concerning. And when you have allegations like this, it’s important to do just what prosecutors in King County did, here, to get this before the court as soon as we can," said Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The suspect is the son of Mike McGinn, who served as Seattle’s mayor from 2010 to 2014. His son is now suspected of receiving and sending hundreds of child sexual abuse images. The investigation started with a "CyberTip" from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
"It’s so important to have the CyberTipline as the sexual reporting mechanism, so that these tips can all come into the national center. We can then make them available to law enforcement around the world if needed, or to our law enforcement partners here in the United States to make sure that these reports are actioned, these children are safeguarded if they’re in harm’s way, and these offenders are held accountable," said Jennifer Newman, executive director of NCMEC’s Exploited Children Division.
Court documents said when police arrested McGinn at his home, he "stated he [had] downloaded at least one hundred files containing images or videos of underage children involved in sexually explicit conduct. McGinn advised he downloaded the files on his desktop."
McNerthney said prosecutors continue receiving documents from detectives as the case against McGinn develops.
"It’s, unfortunately, pretty common to receive a case like this across all parts of King County. That’s why we have a Special Assault Unit who handles these cases every single day to get accountability and to also ask the court for those orders that can help protect the public," said McNerthney.
The court ordered McGinn not to be around minors and to have monitored internet use.
Court documents detailing the investigation also stated, "According to McGinn, he has a cocaine addiction and goes on weekend benders, which is when he typically views the child sex abuse material on his desktop. McGinn advised he has never been hands-on with a child."
FOX 13 stopped by McGinn’s home near N 87th St and Dayton Ave N, but no one answered the door. FOX 13 tried calling and texting the suspect’s father, the former mayor of Seattle, and is awaiting a response. FOX 13 is also standing by for comment from McGinn’s attorney regarding the allegations.
Prosecutors said McGinn is ordered to appear at the charging decision at King County Jail Court scheduled for April 2.
Newman said sexual extortion and exploitation of children is an evolving trend reliant on technology.
"These offenders are reaching out to children, they’re grooming them. They’re sextorting them, really, luring them into online relationships or really scaring them by blackmail, saying, ‘I’m going to share your pictures if you don’t do X, Y, and Z.’ And we have just seen a steady, steady increase over the past two to three years just by the nature of how kids are living online," said Newman.
NCMEC said one of the best ways communities can help police catch offenders is to report it to their CyberTipline.
"Last year, we received over 36 million CyberTipline reports that came into us. So, that averages out to be about 80,000 to 100,000 reports a day," said Newman. "Children are one of our most vulnerable populations. I mean, you think about young children who are nonverbal, they can’t walk yet, they cannot get away from a situation. So, as their advocates, that’s what we’re doing at our desks every day, just trying to be the good guys who are looking at these images and saying how can we help these children."
Reports to CyberTipline can be made online or by calling 1-800-843-5678.
Newman encouraged parents, guardians, teachers, coaches, or any adult to have conversations with children about online safety. She said NCMEC offers resources for those who need help and guidance for those important talks.
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"It’s not about ‘no’s’ and ‘don’t’s.’ It’s not about ‘don’t be online,’ that’s not realistic, but sitting down with your child and say, ‘How can you be online in a way that is safe, in a way that I feel like I can trust you and I know you’ll be safe navigating the digital world?’" said Newman.