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Precursor Games co-founder arrested on child pornography charges

Shadow of the Eternals screen
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Precursor Games co-founder Ken McCulloch is in police custody and facing child pornography charges following a raid on his home in St. Catharines, Canada, according to a media release from the Niagara Regional Police Service (via Joystiq). McCulloch’s various computers and peripherals were seized as evidence, and he now faces one count each of Possession of Child Pornography, Making Child Pornography Available, and Accessing Child Pornography. The arrest came as part of an investigation that started in April 2013. 

Precursor Games announced its presence in May 2013 with the reveal of an Eternal Darkness spiritual successor, Shadow of the EternalsThe new studio brought over several devs from Silicon Knights, including Eternal Darkness creator and SK founder Denis Dyack, Precursor CEO Paul Caporicci, McCulloch, and others. Caporicci took to Precursor’s user forms shortly after the arrest news broke to make a brief statement: “Having just learned of these disturbing charges today and based on the serious nature of them, Ken McCulloch is no longer affiliated in any way with Precursor Games.” 

McCulloch’s been completely scrubbed from Precursor’s website and a video in which he and Dyack introduce Shadow characters is now set to  private. There’s been no further update from Caporicci or from anyone else at Precursor since the arrest.

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Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
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