How Could You?Hall of Shame-Robert F. McFee UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Vancouver, Washington a 2013 case comes to light.”A Vancouver man who is a foster dad appeared today in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of producing, having and dealing child pornography.

Robert F. McFee, 68, is accused of clandestinely filming a minor engaged in sexual activity. Court documents indicate McFee and the victim know each other. Vancouver police detectives also found 53 videos of child pornography on McFee’s digital devices, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in court.

McFee faces charges at his Dec. 18 arraignment of 10 counts of dealing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, 10 counts of possessing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of voyeurism.

Judge Barbara Johnson held him on $75,000. Attorney Steven Thayer, who appeared with McFee, said his client plans to post bail.

Police began investigating McFee in June when they detected a computer in the city was offering to share videos of minors engaged in sexual activity through a peer network on the Internet, according to court documents. A detective downloaded 11 of the proffered videos and found they contained child pornography, court documents say.

Police served a search warrant Sept. 11 at McFee’s home in the Green Meadows neighborhood.

McFee hired Thayer to represent him at that time, the attorney said.

McFee is retired and has no criminal history.”

 

Foster dad accused of making, dealing child porn[The Columbian 12/04/13 by Paris Achen]

“A former foster father pleaded guilty Thursday to filming a minor without the minor’s knowledge while the minor was masturbating in a bedroom.

Robert F. McFee, 69, of Vancouver entered a Newton plea — acknowledging that a jury could find him guilty of the crime but not admitting to guilt — to charges of voyeurism, first-degree dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and first-degree possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

McFee, who is represented by attorney Steven Thayer, is scheduled to be sentenced for the crimes Jan. 29. He faces up to several years in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years. He is free on $75,000 bond until his sentencing.

In exchange for McFee’s guilty plea, Deputy Prosecutor Colin Hayes dismissed more than a dozen other counts, including dealing in and possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Vancouver police began investigating McFee in June 2013 when they detected a computer user in the area was offering to share videos of minors engaged in sexual activity through a peer network on the Internet. A detective downloaded 11 of the proffered videos and found they contained child pornography, according to court papers. Police served a search warrant at McFee’s home in the Green Meadows neighborhood in September 2013. During the course of the investigation, police allegedly found the video of the minor and hundreds of other images of child pornography. Court papers indicate that McFee and the minor knew each other and that McFee was a foster father at the time of the incident.

McFee is retired and had no previous criminal history.”

 Former foster dad pleads guilty to child porn charge [The Columbian 12/11/14 by Paris Achen]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

 

Update:“A former foster father was sentenced Thursday to more than five years in prison for filming a minor without the minor’s knowledge while the minor was masturbating in a bedroom.

On. Dec. 11, Robert F. McFee, 69, of Vancouver entered a Newton plea — acknowledging a jury could find him guilty of a crime but not admitting to guilt — to charges of voyeurism, first-degree dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and first-degree possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Clark County Deputy Prosecutor Patrick Robinson asked Superior Court Judge David Gregerson on Thursday to impose the maximum sentence allowable by law, which is more than six years.

“This is a situation where the defendant went out of his way and volunteered to be the foster parent of this child,” Robinson said. “We feel this is a predatory act and a severe abuse of trust both of the foster care system and of the child’s trust.”

The victim’s foster mother, who is adopting the boy, said the boy is still dealing with psychological effects of the betrayal.

“(He) is a wonderful, wonderful boy, and we love him dearly, but the detriment this has done and will continue to do for the rest of his life is very severe,” the foster mother said. “He cared very much for this gentleman and for him to not care for him back in the way he should is unconscionable.”

McFee’s attorney, Steven Thayer, argued that McFee had good intentions when he filmed the boy with a camera left in the boy’s room. He asked the court to give McFee the minimum sentence allowable under the law, which is 57 months, or just less than five years.

“The boy had some real behavioral problems … so it was decided by Bob that the best thing to do would be to monitor what he was doing so he could confront him about it,” Thayer said.

McFee, who had no previous criminal record, admitted that he had depictions of other minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on an electronic device. However, he denied filming the foster child for sexual gratification.

While Vancouver police were investigating and before an arrest was made in the case, McFee sought and received counseling concerning his possession of sexual content depicting minors, Thayer said.

“Both the progress he made in counseling and the clinical research indicates that he is not going to re-offend, so we don’t need to lock him up for (75 months) to protect the community,” the defense lawyer said.

McFee was free on a $75,000 bond until his sentencing hearing Thursday.

In exchange for McFee’s plea, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office dismissed more than a dozen other counts, including dealing in and possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Vancouver police began investigating McFee in June 2013 when they detected a computer user in the area was offering to share videos of minors engaged in sexual activity through a peer network on the Internet. A detective downloaded 11 of the proffered videos and found they contained child pornography, according to court papers.

Police served a search warrant at McFee’s home in the Green Meadows neighborhood in September 2013. During the course of the investigation, police allegedly found the video of the boy and hundreds of other images of child pornography. Court papers indicate that the boy was the only minor in the depictions whom McFee knew. The papers also state that McFee was a foster parent at the time of the filming.

Gregerson sentenced McFee to 63 months in prison, three years of probation, registration as a sex offender for a period of 15 years, no contact with the victim for 10 years, no contact with minors, recommended sex offender treatment and no pornography.”

Ex-foster father gets 5 years in child porn case[The Columbian 1/29/15  by Paris Achen]