Donald Macarthur Gets 20 Years for Sextortion of Teens

TUCSON, Ariz. — Donald Macarthur, 39, of Lehi, Utah, was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of production of child pornography in separate federal cases. U.S. Chief District Judge Raner C. Collins handed down the sentence, marking the end of a years-long investigation into Macarthur’s predatory online behavior targeting vulnerable teenage girls.

Macarthur used modeling and pro-anorexia websites to identify and manipulate young victims, posing as an anorexia coach to gain their trust. He communicated with a 13-year-old girl in Tucson and a 14-year-old girl in Mississippi through email and text messages, pressuring them to send sexually explicit photos. When they hesitated, he threatened to cut off emotional support and mocked their appearance, escalating psychological control.

Investigators believe Macarthur may have exploited as many as 51 additional unidentified minors across the country. His tactics followed a chilling pattern: isolate, manipulate, coerce. The sexually explicit images he obtained were not just collected—they were used as leverage, turning desperate girls into victims of sextortion under the guise of mentorship.

Following his 20-year prison term, Macarthur will face lifetime supervised release under strict sex offender conditions, including mandatory registration as a sex offender. Federal authorities emphasized that such supervision is designed to monitor high-risk offenders indefinitely, with immediate consequences for any violation.

The case was investigated by the Tucson Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tucson, and prosecuted by Carmen F. Corbin and Erica L. Seger of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona. It was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation online by coordinating federal, state, and local law enforcement.

Case numbers CR-14-2005-TUC-RCC and CR-16-0396-TUC-RCC remain on file. For more information on federal efforts to protect children online, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, continues to urge the public to report suspicious online activity involving minors immediately.