Predator Gets 15 Years: Minnesota Man Exploited Missouri Child

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Douglas Howard Canfield, 56, of Fulda, Minnesota, will spend the next 15 years in federal prison after being sentenced today for a sickening crime against a child. Canfield preyed on an 11-year-old victim in Boone County, Missouri, exchanging explicit photos and videos online.

U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes handed down the sentence, along with an additional eight years of supervised release upon Canfield’s eventual incarceration. But that’s not all. Canfield will be forced to register as a sex offender for life, complying with both federal and state requirements – a permanent mark for a permanent offense.

The case unfolded after Canfield pleaded guilty on March 1, 2022, to attempting to produce child pornography. Investigators discovered that Canfield wasn’t just receiving illicit material; he actively solicited it from the young victim, sending his own disturbing content in return. The exploitation took place through the Fastmeet dating application on the child’s cell phone, with Canfield engaging the victim in explicit sexual conversations throughout June 2019.

The sickening abuse came to light when the Boone County, Mo., Children’s Division received an anonymous tip regarding the child’s online activity in July 2019. A swift response from the Boone County Sheriff’s Department, coupled with the child’s mother’s cooperation in handing over the phone for investigation, quickly identified Canfield. The FBI then made contact with the predator in Minnesota.

The investigation revealed a disturbing pattern. Canfield admitted to investigators that he used the Fastmeet app to contact four or five minor females, attempting to solicit explicit images from all of them. This wasn’t an isolated incident; it was a calculated effort to exploit vulnerable children.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner prosecuted the case, with crucial investigative work conducted by the Boone County Sheriff’s Department Cyber Crimes Task Force and the FBI. This case was brought under the umbrella of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative dedicated to combating child sexual exploitation. The Department of Justice initiative aims to dismantle these networks and protect our most vulnerable citizens. More information on Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc.