Child porn suspect tried to get babysitting jobs with popular websites, feds say

An Ohio man who used popular websites to offer babysitting services is accused of possessing child pornography authorities say.

Ryan J. McConnell, 29, was charged Tuesday with possessing and transporting child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.

Undercover FBI agents in Texas discovered a group named “Toddlers” on the Kik messenger app and observed a user uploading images of child pornography, according to court documents. The user was later identified as McConnell, who lives in Cincinnati, authorities say.

For the past decade, McConnell has tried to get babysitting jobs through popular websites, authorities said. They included SitterCity.com, Care.com, Craigslist and others.

In October, McConnell texted with a resident in Louisville, Kentucky — about 100 miles from his home in Cincinnati — about babysitting a 12-year-old and 14-year-old, according to court documents.

Now investigators are seeking possible victims in the Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana tri-state area.

“The FBI believes that there are potentially more victims associated with this case,” authorities said in a news release.

This story was originally published December 8, 2020 at 7:08 PM.