ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio (AVC News) — The former CEO of Fox Run Center for Children and Adolescents in Belmont County has been arrested on federal charges involving child sexual abuse material and the alleged attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
Randall J. MacKendrick, 59, of St. Clairsville, was arrested Saturday in West Virginia and transferred to the Southern District of Ohio. He appeared in federal court in Columbus on Monday, Oct. 26, for an initial appearance, when the charges were unsealed.
According to federal charging documents, MacKendrick began communicating online in June with a North Ridgeville police officer posing as a 14-year-old girl in an undercover investigation. He allegedly sent sexually explicit messages, offered gifts and requested to meet in person.
Investigators allege MacKendrick traveled to central Ohio in July in attempts to meet the purported teenager at Polaris Fashion Place, Tanger Outlets and a Holiday Inn. In August, he allegedly traveled to South Central Park in Lorain County for another planned meeting. He was arrested on local charges after leaving the park. Authorities said they found multiple sex toys, several condoms and three cellphones in his vehicle.
MacKendrick was initially arrested in August on local charges after allegedly attempting to meet someone he believed to be a teenage girl. During a forensic examination of digital devices seized after Belmont County Sheriff’s Office detectives searched his office and residence that month, investigators discovered images and videos of child sexual abuse material, according to the federal announcement.
After being released on bond, MacKendrick was arrested again in September after authorities learned he was allegedly in contact with a 17-year-old former patient of Fox Run. His bond was increased, and he was released again.
In October, FBI agents learned MacKendrick was a suspect in an ongoing Perry County investigation involving the alleged kidnapping and rape of a 14-year-old girl. Federal authorities said MacKendrick’s DNA matched DNA recovered from the victim. The investigation remains ongoing.
MacKendrick served as CEO of Fox Run Center for Children and Adolescents in St. Clairsville. The facility provides treatment for boys ages 5 to 12 and girls ages 12 to 17.
He is charged with possession of child pornography, a federal offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, which carries a potential sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio, FBI Cincinnati Division Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie, the North Ridgeville Police Department and Belmont County Sheriff James G. Zusack. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Tyler J. Aagard are prosecuting the case.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
A criminal complaint contains allegations, and MacKendrick is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Last Updated on October 26, 2026 by AVC News
