Vancouver man faces child pornography charges

A Vancouver man who is a former foster father appeared Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of producing, having and dealing child pornography.

Robert F. McFee, 68, is accused of clandestinely filming a minor engaged in sexual activity. Court documents indicate that McFee and the victim know each other. He was a foster father at the time of the incident.

Vancouver police detectives also found 53 videos of child pornography on McFee’s digital devices, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in court.

McFee faces charges at his Dec. 18 arraignment of 10 counts of dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, 10 counts of possessing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of voyeurism.

Judge Barbara Johnson held him on $75,000. Attorney Steven Thayer, who appeared Wednesday with McFee, said his client plans to post bail.

Police began investigating McFee in June when they detected a computer in the city was offering to share videos of minors engaged in sexual activity through a peer network on the Internet, according to court documents. A detective downloaded 11 of the proffered videos and found they contained child pornography, court documents say.

Police served a search warrant Sept. 11 at McFee’s home in the Green Meadows neighborhood.

McFee hired Thayer to represent him at that time, the attorney said.

McFee is retired and has no criminal history.