Montgomery County ICAC Investigation Leads to 20-Year Sentence in Multi-State, International Child Exploitation Case

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX -- In October 2023, the Montgomery County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force’s Pct. 4 Detective was notified of a case involving a 13-year-old female who was exploited online and coerced into exchanging Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) with an individual believed to be an adult male.

A Pct. 4 ICAC investigation confirmed the suspect transmitted explicit nude images of himself to the child victim through a social media platform. Investigators obtained multiple headless, shirtless photographs from the social media provider and the victim’s cellphone. Forensic analysis and metadata review identified the suspect as Gary Edward Klink, 45, of Girard, Ohio.

As the investigation progressed, detectives learned Klink was also under scrutiny in an international case in Ontario, Canada, where he was alleged to have been grooming a 15-year-old female. The Pct. 4 ICAC Detective coordinated with the Girard, Ohio Police Department ICAC Task Force Officer, who provided body-worn camera footage from a welfare check at Klink’s residence. A distinctive mole visible on Klink’s chest in the video matched an identifying mark seen in the explicit images sent to the victim.

This corroboration, along with digital evidence from social media records, cellphone data, and metadata, supported a felony arrest warrant for Sexual Performance by a Child Under the Age of 14. The Girard Police Department executed the arrest warrant and a search warrant at Klink’s residence. The search uncovered additional CSAM and evidence indicating the exploitation of additional child victims. Further investigation identified two additional victims—one in southern Ohio and another in southern Arizona—who were groomed in a manner consistent with the allegations originating in Ontario, Canada.

Klink was extradited to Montgomery County, Texas, to face prosecution. On January 5, 2026, in Montgomery County, Texas, Gary Edward Klink pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 20 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

The Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office thanks the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office; the Houston-Metro ICAC Task Force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Girard, Ohio Police Department; Trumbull County, Ohio Prosecutor’s Office; Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff’s Office; Champaign County, Ohio Sheriff’s Office; Warren City, Ohio Police Department; Ohio Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation; and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office – ICAC Taskforce ADA’s for their assistance.

Constable Kenneth “Rowdy” Hayden stated this case is a clear warning: those who take advantage and exploit children, regardless of distance, borders, or jurisdiction, will be identified, pursued, arrested and held accountable.

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