A pedophile who was found with over 1,000 images of children being sexually abused announced his transgender identity during his sentencing hearing this week. Adam Leslie McDonald of Thunder Bay, Ontario, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and will not have to register as a sex offender.
McDonald, 37, was first arrested in 2021 after the Thunder Bay Police Service’s Cyber Crime Unit became aware of a local internet user who was uploading content with consistent indicators of child sexual abuse material.
McDonald’s Kenwood Avenue residence was raided in June of that year and multiple devices were seized. Further investigation confirmed the uploads, and police ultimately uncovered 1,083 child sexual abuse files on McDonald’s computer and phone. The vast majority of the videos and images featured computer-generated or drawn depictions of children performing sexual acts, but approximately 20 of the files involved real victims, some of whom were toddlers.
Some of the computer generated and drawn images had been created by McDonald and sold by him for the purposes of generating financial gain.
McDonald was taken into custody in August of 2021, two months after police raided his residence. He was released the same day with a future appearance date.
On January 22, 2024, over two years following his arrest, McDonald appeared in court and pleaded guilty to one count of creating child pornography. At his hearing, he revealed that he was now identifying as a woman.
McDonald’s lawyer argued that he was struggling with a porn addiction at the time of his offenses and had no previous criminal record. As a result, there was some debate in the court about subjecting McDonald to the sex offender registry, with prosecutors seeking a 20-year registration while McDonald’s defense argued that it was not warranted.
Justice Vince Scaramuzza ultimately agreed with the defense, and did not order McDonald to the sex offender registry during sentencing. In determining a prison term, Scaramuzza cited McDonald’s low risk to reoffend, that he expressed remorse, and the fact that he denied to having any sexual attraction to children.
Instead, McDonald will be subjected to a 2 year probation following his release from prison, with certain restrictions surrounding his access to the internet. He will also be required to register a DNA sample with the police.
Though previous reports on McDonald referred to him using “he/him” pronouns, local news quickly adjusted for his self-declared identity and began referring to him using feminine pronouns.
Speaking to Reduxx, a media representative from the Thunder Bay Police admitted the situation was complex, but that he was unsure as to whether McDonald’s newfound gender identity would impact how the crime was recorded.
Reduxx inquired about obtaining a photo of McDonald, but police advised that it was not able to be released in accordance with Ontario privacy law.