KC man charged with producing child porn
in alleged blackmail scheme
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was charged in federal court today with producing child pornography, which was discovered during an investigation into an alleged blackmail scheme.
Corey M. McKinley, 34, of Kansas City, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. McKinley remains in custody pending an initial court appearance on Monday, April 11, 2011.
According to an affidavit that was filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, an informant (who is not identified in the affidavit) contacted law enforcement officers on March 28, 2011, to report a possible extortion attempt against him. The informant told police officers that he was contacted on Facebook by a female who claimed to be 17 years old, and began to chat online with her and exchanged telephone numbers.
The informant and the minor female met at her house and had sexual intercourse, the affidavit says, and they agreed to meet again the next day. When the informant returned the next day and they began to have sexual intercourse, McKinley allegedly entered the room and confronted the informant. McKinley allegedly told the informant that the female was 16 years old, and that they had been filmed having sexual intercourse the previous day.
According to the affidavit, McKinley demanded that the informant pay him $400 so that he would not tell the authorities. They walked to an ATM together, the affidavit says, and the informant withdrew $100 and gave it to McKinley. They allegedly arranged to meet at a later date for the rest of the money.
On April 7, 2011, the affidavit says, the informant agreed to meet with McKinley in order to exchange the remaining money and get the original video copy of the sexual encounter. The affidavit alleges that McKinley sent a text message to the informant, instructing him to put $500 in a sealed envelope and give the envelope to a security guard at Devry University. After the exchange occurred, the affidavit says, police officers saw McKinley approach the security desk and get the envelope containing the money from the security guard. McKinley was arrested.
When investigators searched the minor’s cell phone, they found several images of child pornography depicting the minor, including sexually explicit photos of McKinley and the minor as well as sexually explicit photos of the informant and the minor.
Phillips cautioned that the charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick D. Daly and Cynthia L. Cordes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department in conjunction with the Human Trafficking Rescue Project.
