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Suspect in child porn jailed in Akron
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
YOUNGSTOWN
A part-time city resident with recordings of himself in sexual situations with children has been arrested while patronizing an adult-entertainment store in Akron.
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William McCants
City police, Akron police and various task-force groups have been looking for 42-year-old William McCants for several weeks. McCants was listed with addresses on the city’s South Side and at several locations in the Akron area.
Detective Sgt. Charles Guzzy said the search for McCants ended Tuesday evening when Akron police spotted the man frequenting an adult- pornography shop in Akron. He was taken into custody at that time.
Guzzy said McCants is in the Summit County Jail on charges related to failure to register as a sex offender as required by law. McCants is required to register as a sex offender from a previous conviction for child endangering.
City police have four arrest warrants for McCants. Guzzy said police have charged McCants with two counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor and two counts of illegal use of minors in nudity- oriented material.
Guzzy said it is unclear when McCants will be brought back to Mahoning County to face the charges against him here. He said the Summit County charges may need to be resolved before he is brought back here.
According to police, the investigation into McCants began several weeks ago after his estranged wife brought police a computer disc with images of McCants and young, nude girls.
Police estimate the children on the video and still photos to be between age 10 and 12.
Guzzy said officers are still trying to determine who the young people are in the videos and still photos.
The material reviewed thus far contains images of five young girls, but police do not know if the children are from Youngstown, Akron or elsewhere.
Police are asking that anyone who may know the identity of the girls to call the Youngstown Police Department.