Online Child Exploitation Case Spanning U.S. and Canada Ends With 20-Year Prison Sentence

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – A multi-state and international investigation into the online sexual exploitation of children has resulted in a 20-year prison sentence for an Ohio man who targeted minors across multiple jurisdictions, authorities announced.

Gary Edward Klink, 45, of Girard, Ohio, pleaded guilty on January 5, 2026, in Montgomery County, Texas, to charges stemming from the sexual exploitation of a 13-year-old girl and was sentenced to 20 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

The case began in October 2023, when a detective with the Montgomery County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force assigned to Precinct 4 received information about a 13-year-old female who had been exploited online and coerced into exchanging child sexual abuse material with an adult male. Investigators confirmed the suspect sent explicit images of himself to the child through a social media platform.

Digital evidence obtained from social media records, the victim’s cellphone, and metadata analysis identified the suspect as Klink. Investigators recovered multiple explicit images, including headless photographs showing distinctive physical features.

As the investigation expanded, detectives learned Klink was also under investigation in Ontario, Canada, for allegedly grooming a 15-year-old girl. Coordination with the Girard Police Department provided body-worn camera footage from a welfare check at Klink’s residence. Investigators said a distinctive mole visible on Klink’s chest in the footage matched identifying marks seen in the explicit images sent to the Texas victim.

Based on that corroboration and forensic evidence, authorities obtained a felony arrest warrant for sexual performance by a child under the age of 14. The Girard Police Department executed the arrest and a search warrant at Klink’s residence, where additional child sexual abuse material was discovered. Investigators later identified two more victims, one in southern Ohio and another in southern Arizona, who were groomed in a manner consistent with allegations linked to the Canadian investigation.

Klink was extradited to Texas to face prosecution. Following his guilty plea, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The investigation involved coordinated efforts among multiple agencies, including the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston-area ICAC Task Force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and law enforcement agencies across Ohio and Arizona.

“This case is a clear warning,” said Precinct 4 Constable Kenneth “Rowdy” Hayden. “Those who exploit children, regardless of distance, borders, or jurisdiction, will be identified, pursued, arrested, and held accountable.”