N.B. man arrested in Ohio in child porn investigation, now faces charges in Canada

A New Brunswick man who was already in trouble in the United States over alleged involvement in child pornography is now facing charges in Canada.

Joseph Bruce Haggerty, 49, of St. Stephen was charged in Saint John Provincial Court with making and possessing child pornography, as well as luring a child under the age of 18.

Haggerty remains in custody in the United States but a warrant for his arrest has been issued within Canada — a key step if Canada is to apply for Haggerty’s extradition.

READ MORE: New Brunswick man indicted in U.S. for sexual exploitation of a minor

The 49-year-old was originally arrested Aug. 10 while in Rocky River, Ohio, after the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) said he flew from his home in New Brunswick to spend the weekend with an underaged girl.

RCMP officers then raided a home on Aug. 11 and seized several electronic devices.

According to a DOJ press release,Haggerty spent between May 14 and July 15, 2017, attempting to coerce a “minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct.”

Homeland Security investigators in Austin, Texas, were originally tipped off that a man was soliciting nude images from children.

Agents in Cleveland then followed the suspect when he arrived in Ohio, where he allegedly met an underage female in a local park.

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The girl had told relatives she was going on a camping trip for the weekend but actually planned to go to a hotel, according to an affidavit.

Police say they seized clothing, 12 condoms, a stuffed animal and a package of baby pacifiers during their arrest.

The girl later told agents that she met the 49-year-old on Kik in December 2016 before continuing to communicate on Skype.

According to an affidavit, the underaged girl said the calls with Haggerty would last hours with the man reportedly directing her to strip naked and engage in sexually explicit conduct.

READ MORE: New Brunswick man charged with production of child pornography in U.S

The DOJ says police have found nude images of the Ohio minor, contact information for the child in Texas and evidence of five other potential victims as part of their investigation.

The arrest was the result of a joint investigation by the United States Department of Homeland Security and the New Brunswick RCMP’s child exploitation unit.

The Mounties say their investigation is ongoing.