U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Paul Creighton, a 67-year-old Canadian national from Ontario, to life in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material and enticing a minor. Creighton pleaded guilty on August 19, 2024.
According to court documents and evidence presented during sentencing, Creighton coerced minors across the United States, including Florida, Virginia, Georgia, and California, into creating explicit images and videos between 2012 and 2017.
One of the victims was a 14-year-old girl from Osceola County who was manipulated by Creighton through social media. In April 2017, she confided in a friend about her interactions with Creighton. This led to law enforcement involvement after the friend's report to a guidance counselor reached the victim's parents. Creighton instructed the victim on how to erase evidence and threatened her with exposure if she did not continue communicating with him.
In October 2017, FBI agents seized electronic devices from Creighton's possession. A forensic examination revealed photographs of the minor victim and searches related to her and other minors nationwide.
While traveling from Toronto to Washington D.C., authorities executed a search warrant at Creighton's residence in Ontario on October 24, 2017. They discovered hundreds of images depicting child sexual abuse among his possessions.
Creighton was indicted in 2018 and arrested by Canadian authorities on November 12, 2020. He was extradited to the United States on February 8, 2024.
FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor stated that "the life sentence will guarantee no other child falls victim to this man’s horrific abuse." The investigation was spearheaded by the FBI's Tampa Field Office with support from the U.S. Marshals Service and Niagara Regional Police. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs played a crucial role in securing Creighton's arrest and extradition. Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes prosecuted the case.