Houghton man arrested for possession of child sexually abusive material

HOUGHTON — The Michigan State Police (MSP) Computer Crimes Unit, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, is announcing the arrest of Gary Richard Gagnier 28, of Houghton following an investigation into his online activity.

The investigation revealed Gagnier, a Houghton resident, had been uploading child sexually abusive material at his residence since June 2017. ICAC worked closely with officers from Michigan Tech University, Houghton County Sheriff Department and the Houghton City Police Department.

Gagnier was arrested in Houghton on Sept 12th, and has been charged with two counts of possession of child sexually abusive material and two counts of using a computer to commit a crime. He was arraigned Sept 14th and bond has been set at $25,000 cash.

Each count of possession of child sexually abusive material carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison and/or $10,000 fine. Each count of using a computer to commit a crime carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and/or $5,000 fine.

The MSP CCU encourages parents to speak to their children about the safe use of the internet. There are many resources available to parents to assist in keeping children safe online. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provides a comprehensive list of resources on their website at http;//www.missingkids.org/cybertipline.