Sexual exploitation charges laid against Airdrie, Alta., man
Authorities say an Airdrie, Alta., man faces several charges related to the sexual exploitation of a young family member.
The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team's (ALERT) Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit said the suspect was arrested on Jan. 19 following the search of an Airdrie home.
They did not say how old the child victim was.
The 26-year-old man cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, but has been charged with:
- Sexual assault;
- Sexual interference;
- Invitation to sexual touching;
- Making child pornography;
- Accessing child pornography; and
- Possession of child pornography.
ALERT says the charges come after investigators were told the suspect was uploading suspected child exploitation materials to the Internet via social media.
A search of a home resulted in the seizure of several computers and electronic devices. Forensic technicians conducted a preliminary analysis and found images, believed to depict sexual abuse, on the suspect's phone.
They add the victim's mother was unaware of the abuse.
"You can appreciate the trauma this family is experiencing right now. It was a great relief to our team to end this abuse," said Det. Erin Penner with ALERT's ICE unit in a statement.
The victim and family members are being offered support through the Luna Child and Youth Advocacy Centre and Airdrie Victim Services. Alberta Children's Services is also involved.
Investigators say parents should always be aware of their children's activities online and watch for any warning signs.
"In regards to medical distress, injuries, not wanting to be with whoever the family member may be, may not want to go out and visit with anybody," said Det. Dean Jacobs with ALERT in an interview with CTV News.
"They may not want to have that alone time that they normally would. You might see some changes in their personality and what they usually do."
Jacobs says child exploitation is a big issue in Alberta, Canada and the world.
"We can't arrest ourselves out of this. We need help from family members, if they see something, they need to report it right away and at least get there to save the child.
"These are our kids and they need to be protected. Some of them can't speak for themselves so, as adults, we need to do that and protect our kids."
The suspect is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 16.
Airdrie is located approximately 20 minutes north of Calgary.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.