Garrett Highlander allegedly searched for explicit images of infants before telling police he was “trolling” and “rage baiting,” a complaint says
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Credit: West Virginia Regional Jail
NEED TO KNOW
- Garrett Michael Highlander, 20, was arrested after a search warrant uncovered alleged child sexual abuse material
- Investigators linked Highlander to 48 cybertip reports and disturbing activity on Discord, including explicit image searches
- He faces charges for allegedly possessing explicit material involving minors and is being held on $100,000 bond
A West Virginia man accused of sharing child sexual abuse material online under names including “MrChildPorn” and searching for sexually explicit images of infants has been arrested.
Garrett Michael Highlander, 20, was taken into custody on Aug. 21 after West Virginia State Police executed a search warrant at a residence in Morgantown, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by WBOY.
The investigation began after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children submitted 48 cybertip reports concerning a Discord user allegedly “boasting of his large cache” of child sexual abuse material, the complaint says, per WBOY.
Investigators identified that user as Highlander, who allegedly used variations of the name “MrToxix” as well as “MrChildPorn” on at least one occasion.
Other Discord users alleged that Highlander repeatedly sent them child sexual abuse material, including through direct messages, according to the complaint.
Troopers also allegedly found numerous conversations in which Highlander attempted to use Discord’s artificial intelligence feature to search for sexually explicit images of infants and repeatedly asked whether other users were willing to trade such material, WBOY reported, citing the complaint.
When interviewed by investigators, Highlander claimed that he made the statements to be inflammatory and was “trolling” and “rage baiting” because he found it “highly amusing,” according to the filing.
Highlander also acknowledged being in chat servers where young people, often girls, were groomed or encouraged to harm themselves, but denied taking part in that behavior, the complaint says.
Investigators allegedly found multiple sexually explicit images and an approximately 32-second video depicting a girl they believed to be between 15 and 17 years old on Highlander’s phone, WV News reported, citing the complaint. WBOY reported that the girl depicted had cuts on her arms and legs.
Highlander was charged with possession of material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The charge falls within a statutory tier covering more than 50 but fewer than 300 images. Under West Virginia law, a video lasting five minutes or less counts as 100 images.
He was being held at North Central Regional Jail on $100,000 bond, according to online booking records and WV News.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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