Arms Cache Seized From Suspect In Rapes Accused Child Molester Under Investigation For Militia Ties

More than 70 pipe bombs and an arsenal of machine guns and hand grenades have been seized from an accused child rapist now under investigation for militia ties.

“This is turning out to be way bigger than we first imagined,” a federal investigator said Thursday.

Federal and local investigators are scheduled to meet privately today to discuss the widening investigation.

Police believe Gregory L. McCrea raped at least four Spokane children ranging in age from 3 to 9, including a 6-year-old girl he used to drive to school and to McDonald’s for “Happy Meals.”

More victims may be identified as detectives continue analyzing the evidence, detective Capt. Steve Braun said Thursday.

“Our main concern now is how many different victims are involved and the scope of the investigation,” Braun said. “It’s a shocking-type crime.”

U.S. Attorney Jim Connelly said federal court documents are sealed, preventing him from discussing the case.

Others familiar with the investigation express amazement at the size of the weapons cache and child pornography.

Evidence suggests McCrea has interests in militia activities, investigators say. His computer has been seized.

McCrea, 54, of Spokane is in jail on four counts of first-degree child rape, four charges of sexual exploitation of children and a federal firearms count.

Other federal charges are being developed, authorities said. He was convicted in 1977 of possessing a fully armed 16-by-2 inch black powder pipe bomb.

McCrea was arrested May 7 after a 6-year-old girl told her mother she had been raped by McCrea at least four times.

A second suspect, Daniel Alan Gard, 32, was arrested Tuesday after he was identified on a videotape showing adults engaged in sex acts with children, police said.

Gard, who lived at the Commercial Building at 1115 W. First, is charged with three counts of first-degree child rape and three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

The day after his arrest, police searched McCrea’s home at 1401 E. Bridgeport and two railroad cars converted to storage facilities at 512 N. Perry.

Those searches led city police and agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms this week to search a third site - a storage facility in the Spokane Valley.

The searches turned up automatic weapons, ammunition and explosive powder, sources said.

Federal search warrants in the case are sealed. State search warrants deal with the child-rape charges.

City detectives who searched McCrea’s Bridgeport house reported finding dozens of photographs depicting children having sex and other evidence of child pornography, including videotapes.

One detective said he found a “bag of porn” on McCrea’s computer desk. The plastic bag contained computer disks and photographs showing kids having sex, he said.

When he was arrested, McCrea was carrying in his wallet five pictures of pre-pubescent girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct, detective Jerry Keller wrote in an affidavit filed in Spokane County District Court.

At least one of the videotapes show McCrea and Gard having sex with young girls, detectives said.

McCrea told detectives he down-loaded many of the photographs from the Internet and planned to begin taking pictures of his victims engaged in sex, according to court records.

THE ALLEGATIONS Police believe Gregory L. McCrea raped at least four Spokane children ranging in age from 3 to 9.