TAYLOR, Mich. – Federal investigators say a Taylor man used the Kik messaging app to send and receive child sexually abusive material (CSAM) and kept dozens of images and videos in a password-protected folder called “Shhh” on his phone, according to FBI Detroit.
Harold Joseph Labeau, 29, was charged Aug. 12, 2026, with distribution and receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
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An FBI Special Agent working in Detroit and through the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes (SEMTEC) Task Force said they received three National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline reports tied to Kik activity between April and July of 2025, and that review of the files tied to those tips found “at least 40 videos depicting child pornography.”
The tips: usernames, emails, and videos
The first tip in April 2025, the FBI said, someone on Kik sent six files of apparent child sexually abusive material to another Kik user. The email tied to the account was allegedly one used by Labeau. The files included a 54-second video showing a minor girl “in fishnet stockings but otherwise fully nude,” in a sexual act with an adult male.
The second report, according to the feds, said in May 2025, someone on Kik sent “at least 33 files” of child sexually abusive material. The feds said the email addresses linked to the account belonged to Labeau. The files allegedly included a 29-second video of a minor female in a bathtub, “appearing to be fully nude,” in a sexual act with an adult male.
The third report, according to the complaint, said in July 2026, someone on Kik sent “at least 9 files” of apparent child sexually abusive material. The email tied to that username was again, allegedly, Labeau.
The feds said one of the files was a one-minute, 44-second video showing “a young female child” in a sexual act with an adult male.
Traffic stop, phone seizure, and interview
Federal investigators said they tied subscriber information and cell phone records to Labeau in July 2026 and found an address for him on Hipp Street and later, Duncan Street in Taylor.
On Aug. 12, 2026, the FBI said they initiated a search of Labeau’s Taylor home, but before executing the warrant, law enforcement saw Labeau leave.
Police said they stopped Labeau’s vehicle near Telegraph and Pennsylvania Ave in Taylor and seized his cell phone from the center console.
The phone number matched the number tied to the Kik and email accounts, the feds said.
Labeau later admitted using Kik usernames like the ones discovered and “admitted sending and/or receiving CSAM on Kik,” the FBI said. Labeau also allegedly told agents CSAM was in the “Secure Folder” on his phone.
The ‘Secure Folder’ and what agents say they found
The “Secure Folder” is described as a folder that only allows access via a passcode or biometric lock.
The tool can also be hidden so it does not appear on the home screen or in the app list, the feds said.
A manual review of Labeau’s phone revealed at least 19 images and 61 videos in a password-protected Secure Folder labeled “Shhh,” the FBI said.
The FBI said most of the files in that folder met the federal definition of child pornography. They said they found a 20-second video of a minor female “around 6 to 8 years old” engaged in a sexual act with an adult male.
They said they also found a 46-second video of a young boy in a bathtub engaged in a sexual act, along with a 1-minute, 43-second video of a minor female engaged in a sexual act.
Kik chats: ‘11-16 is what I like’
In multiple Kik chats on the phone, Labeau, according to federal investigators, told other users he prefers “mother/son” content. The FBI said that people with a sexual interest in children use “mother/son” to describe CSAM involving an adult female and a male child.
In one example from a Kik chat, in March 2026, the feds said another user advertised CSAM with an age range “between 1 and 20,” including “mom and son.” According to the complaint, Labeau responded: “11-16 is what I like most but love mom and Son especially when the son is real young. Mega links are great.”
The two users allegedly then negotiated a price, exchanged CashApp usernames, and the other user instructed Labeau to send payment and download one of two encrypted messaging apps.
The FBI said they found CashApp on Labeau’s phone and found a payment on the same date to the same Kik user for $35.
The feds said the “Secure Folder” also contained “mother/son” content, including a 3-minute, 34-second video of a 10-year-old boy engaged in a sexual act with an adult female.
Labeau was arrested and temporarily detained. A detention hearing was held on Aug. 13.