A Port Dickinson man accused of leading a ring of online sexual predators is to serve 40 years in prison after pleading guilty in May.  He was sentenced in Federal Court December 5.

Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News (file)
Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News (file)
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39-year-old Christian Maire and at least nine others pretended to be teenage boys to entice young girls into performing and recording sexual acts for at least five years.

The men participated by invitation in an exclusive website, then assumed fake online personalities to convince girls they were teenage boys wanting to be friends or an online relationship.

A girl in Michigan went to authorities, leading to the breakup of the ring and the arrest of the men, including Maire, who had one online profile identifying himself as being involved in high-technology computer businesses in the Binghamton area.

The other men in the group are from Canada, Pennsylvania, California, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and elsewhere in New York.

Maire’s case was prosecuted by Federal authorities in Michigan, where the girl had made the complaint.  He was sentenced in the Eastern District of the United States Attorney’s Office in Detroit.

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