Police: Online Sexual Predator from Canton Might Have More Victims

A 32-year-old Canton Township is facing several sex crime charges after he was accused of sending nude photos of himself to minors.

Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said in a news release today that deputies from the Macomb Area Computer Enforcement team (M.A.C.E.) began investigating Taylor McCabe Best in 2011 after parents of a 16-year-old Washington Township teen had received nude photos from the suspect and unwanted contact through Facebook and text messaging.

M.A.C.E., the FBI, Michigan State Police and arrested Best on Wedensday at his home in Canton.

Best was arraigned today at 42-1 District Court in Romeo.

According to the news release, the man allegedly went by the alias "John Simmons," portraying himself as a 20-year-old man.

Best also is accused of sending lewd photos to a 13-year-old from Bruce Township, the news release said. Best also is accused of soliciting photos from the teen, theatening to tell her parents if she did not comply.

Wickersham said in the news release that Best has been charged with one count of distributing sexually explicit material to a child, three counts of using a computer to commit a crime, one count of accosting for immoral purposes and one count of extortion, all felony charges.

Police said the suspect might have also had contact with additional teenagers from the area. M.A.C.E. officers are continuing to look into possible other cases, the news release said.

Ways to Protect Your Child Online

• Talk to your children about Internet dangers. Show them the proper way to interact with online strangers, and warn them not to share sensitive information online.
• Review the privacy settings of the social networks, cell phones, and other social tools your children use. Work with children to decide which settings provide the best protection for them. 
• Use parental control software built into Windows 7 or Windows Vista, or that you can download for free like Windows Live Family Safety Settings.
• Monitor the chat areas your children use and teach them to steer clear of individuals who will try to engage them in inappropriate conversation.
• Have children work on the home computer, or keep their laptop in a common area of the house–never a child's bedroom.  
• Have younger children share the family email address rather than have their own accounts. 
• Warn children not to respond to instant messaging, texts, or emails from strangers. 

For more information on how to protect your children online, check out the FBI's parent's guide to Internet safety.