An Oak Harbor man is charged with incest and other sex crimes he allegedly committed against his daughter last year, according to court documents.

Prosecutors charged Alexander K. Canty, 40, in Island County Superior Court July 15 with incest in the first degree with aggravating circumstances, possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct in the first degree, sexual exploitation of a minor, unlawful possession of a firearm and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.

The allegations in the aggravating circumstances are that Canty used his position of trust to commit the crime and that he knew or should have known that the victim was particularly vulnerable or incapable of resistance. If a jury finds the aggravating factors exist, the judge could sentence Canty beyond the standard range.

Canty appeared in Island County Superior Court July 11 for a preliminary hearing. Deputy Prosecutor Michael Safstrom asked Judge Carolyn Cliff to set Canty’s bail at $250,000 based on a number of factors. He said Canty attempted to contact the victim during the investigation and told her to delete content from her phone.

The deputy prosecutor said that Canty has a felony burglary conviction in Colorado but had been working for the last few years as a parcel delivery person for the company ASI.

Attorney Claire Highland, who was representing Canty, asked the judge to release him on his personal recognizance or set his bail lower. She said he has strong ties to the community and doesn’t pose a danger to others. She said the details in the police report show that he had reason to believe that his actions were consensual.

Noting that there’s a significant risk that Canty could tamper with witnesses, Cliff set his bail at $150,000.

A report by Detective Angelica Scelzi with the Oak Harbor Police Department shows that an extensive investigation into the allegations was conducted over the last year. After learning about the allegations in April 2024, the detective was able to develop probable cause that crimes occurred and immediately worked with Child Protective Services to take the victim into custody.

The report states that a student in another state alerted authorities that her friend, a 16-year-old girl living in Oak Harbor, had sent her photos and videos of her having sex with her father, later identified as Canty, the report states.

The girl later told interviewers that she had been living with a relative on the East Coast when she reconnected with her father online. He sent her sex toys for Christmas, the report states. Nevertheless, she decided to fly to Washington to live with him at his Oak Harbor home.

The girl told police that Canty started groping her and later had sex with her, the report states. She said she felt she could not say “no” or she would get into trouble or that he would throw her out. She said he also furnished her with liquor.

The detective sent Snapchat a warrant for communications between the father and daughter; the report describes images and messages.

In an interview with police, Canty allegedly admitted that his relationship with his daughter “got out of hand” and progressed from inappropriate communications to sex, the report states.

On July 10, the police served a search warrant on Canty’s apartment and found multiple firearms of different calibers with no serial numbers or markings, the report states. With a burglary conviction, he’s not eligible to possess a weapon.