N.H. child porn investigation leads to local man’s arrest

A child pornography investigation that started in a small New Hampshire city led to a raid at a trailer park just outside Spokane early Tuesday.

Three children younger than 10 were in the home of Michael C. “Craig” McGuire, 55, when he was arrested at about 9:30 a.m. on charges of possessing child pornography and sending depictions of minors engaged in sexual conduct.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office seized two desktop computers and a laptop from his home, at 5314 W. Sunset No. 4, in the Hilltop trailer park.

“Based on our discussion with the suspect we expect to find up to a thousand images (of child porn),” said Sgt. Dave Reagan.

McGuire allegedly had been sending illegal images to a detective in Keene, N.H., whom he thought was a 14-year-old boy, the sheriff’s office said.

“He solicited him for sex,” Detective Dave Ellis said.

McGuire also sent the New Hampshire detective video depicting child pornography, Ellis said.

The Keene, N.H., police department said McGuire approached the detective in an online chat room and chatted with him several times. Investigators used screenshots of McGuire on his Web camera to help identify him, Ellis said.

Dog feces covered the inside of the trailer, prompting investigators to cover their shoes.

McGuire told detectives two of the children in his trailer were his grandchildren, Ellis said.

One child was returned to his parents; two others were taken into Child Protective Services custody when their parents couldn’t be reached. Detectives don’t know what the three were doing in McGuire’s trailer and will interview them separately.

McGuire’s neighbor and former stepdaughter, Edna Holder, said she called Crime Stoppers about three weeks ago after she saw child pornography on his computer.

“I’ve walked in there and seen him chatting with a little boy from Australia,” Holder said. “I told him, ‘You need to stop or you’re going to jail.’ ”

Hilltop manager Larry Mobley said he never suspected McGuire would be the next resident arrested.

“The owner calls it Helltop,” Mobley said. “We’ve had so many raids in this park it’s unbelievable.”