Pittsburgh-area therapist who works with kids charged with sending sexually explicit photos to 12-year-old girl
CANONSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) -- A licensed therapist is charged with sending sexually explicit pictures to a 12-year-old girl.
Courtney Cavanaugh is a licensed therapist and the director of a local nonprofit that works with kids with autism.
According to police paperwork, Cavanaugh allegedly sent several graphic pictures of a nude man with the face of the 12-year-old victim's father superimposed on the head of the man in the images.
In Cavanaugh's own words, she says she's "worked in the mental health field for more than 17 years, predominately with children and adolescents."
"I'm alarmed by anybody doing anything like this regardless of their profession but obviously if she deals with children that makes it even more alarming," said Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh.
Walsh says after tracing the IP address from where the images were sent, Chartiers Township police executed a search warrant on Cavanaugh's home in Canonsburg.
There they seized a cell phone that contained the pornographic pictures the child received.
"The evidence on the phone then corroborated the evidence and the facts that she was the sender and that's what the charges have been made from," Walsh said.
KDKA-TV learned Cavanaugh and the victim's dad were in a previous relationship.
KDKA-TV stopped by Cavanaugh's home Thursday for comment but she didn't answer.
Walsh calls the victim brave for coming forward and says she did the right thing.
"It's our job to investigate and prosecute people that do these types of things to children and we will vigorously prosecute crimes against children in Washington County," Walsh said.
KDKA-TV reached out to Cavanaugh's attorney and didn't hear back by the time the story aired. Cavanaugh will have her formal arraignment next month.
