Pittsburgh-area man accused of telling 7-year-old girl to take inappropriate photos of herself during Bible study

SOUTH PARK TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) — A man was arrested after police said he told a 7-year-old girl to use his cellphone to take an inappropriate photo of herself during a Bible study session at a Pittsburgh-area home.

Twenty-one-year-old Michael McFarland of North Huntingdon Township is facing several charges, including unlawful contact with a minor, criminal solicitation and sexual abuse of children, Allegheny County police announced on Monday. Police said McFarland also has several other victims they haven’t been able to identify. 

County police said their investigation into McFarland began after they got a ChildLine report in March about a 7-year-old girl. 

Through witness interviews, police said they learned that during a Bible study session at a home in South Park Township, McFarland told the girl to go into the bathroom and take an inappropriate photo of herself. The victim knew McFarland from Providence Reformed Church, police said.

As part of the investigation, police said detectives looked at McFarland’s phone. Detectives found nearly a dozen photos of seven girls “in various states of undress,” but authorities have been unable to identify any of them. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the county police tipline at 1-833-ALL-TIPS.