Former CEO Arrested on Serious Federal Charges

Randall J. MacKendrick, the former CEO of Fox Run Center for Children and Adolescents in St. Clairsville, Ohio, has been arrested by federal agents on charges of child pornography and coercion.

The U. S. Attorney's Office announced that MacKendrick, 59, was taken into custody following a series of incidents that began earlier this year.

MacKendrick was initially arrested in August on local charges after attempting to meet with an individual he believed to be a teenage girl. This arrest followed a sting operation where MacKendrick allegedly communicated online with a North Ridgeville police officer posing as a 14-year-old female. The communications, which began in June 2026, included sexually explicit messages and attempts to arrange in-person meetings.

In July, MacKendrick allegedly traveled to several locations in central Ohio, including Polaris Fashion Place and Tanger Outlets, in an attempt to meet the fictitious teenager. He was arrested in August after leaving South Central Park in Lorain County, where law enforcement found multiple sex toys, condoms, and cell phones in his vehicle.

Following his initial arrest, MacKendrick was released on bond but was re-arrested in September for allegedly contacting a 17-year-old former patient of the Fox Run Center. His bond was subsequently increased, and he was released again.

In October, the FBI identified MacKendrick as a suspect in a separate case involving the kidnapping and rape of a 14-year-old girl in Perry County. Investigators reported that MacKendrick's DNA matched samples recovered from the victim, although this investigation is still ongoing.

MacKendrick was arrested in West Virginia and transferred to the Southern District of Ohio, where he appeared in federal court for an initial hearing. He faces charges of possessing child pornography, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, which could result in a sentence of at least 10 years to life imprisonment.

The charges against MacKendrick were announced by Dominick S. Gerace II, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, along with FBI Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie, the North Ridgeville Police Department, and Belmont County Sheriff James G. Zusack.

Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Tyler J. Aagard are handling the prosecution.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative involves collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies to locate and prosecute individuals who exploit children online and to rescue victims.

It is important to note that a criminal complaint contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.