Victoria, BC – In total, 10 charges are being recommended against two men after VicPD’s internet Child Exploitation Investigator conducted two covert, online investigations.
In June of 2017, the West Shore RCMP received information of a potential child luring over the internet. The victim resided in the West Shore, but the suspect was determined to be in Esquimalt. VicPD’s dedicated Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Investigator began his investigation into the online activity of the suspect. On November 14th, 2018, multiple officers from VicPD’s Special Victims Unit, Forensic Identification Section, Integrated Tech Crime Unit and Patrol officers executed a search warrant in Esquimalt. Investigators are recommending multiple charges against a 61 year-old Esquimalt man including:
- Luring a child under 16 years old,
- Making child pornography,
- Possession of child pornography,
- Luring a child under 14 years old,
- Making sexually explicit material available to a child,
- Agreement or arrangement for sexual offence against a child,
- Distribution of child pornography, and
- Counselling an offence that is not committed (sexual interference).
The man was released on a promise to appear with multiple conditions.
In another investigation, VicPD’s ICE officer began an covert investigation into the activity of a 28 year-old man on November 1st, 2018. Through the course of the investigation, it became clear that the man wanted to sexually abuse a child. A meeting was set up with the man on November 8th and when he had arrived to the apartment building, he was met by multiple officers and arrested. The man is facing one charge of luring a child under 16 years old.
Upon the man’s arrest, it was determined that he had been in Canada illegally since 2014. Investigators will be working with the Canadian Border Services Agency to determine his status.
For more information on how to protect your family, and especially to protect children, visit https://www.protectchildren.ca/en/
-30-