Edmonton… A 54-year-old Morinville man has been arrested by ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation team. The suspect allegedly used social media applications to trade child pornography and was involved in child luring.
Jeffrey Paul Veenbaas, 54, was arrested on October 17, 2017 with the assistance of Morinville RCMP. ICE charged Veenbaas with possession of child pornography, transmitting child pornography, making child pornography, and luring a child.
ICE alleges that Veenbaas would impersonate young teens online and try and coerce underage victims into sending him sexual photos and videos. It is not believed he had any physical contact with his victims but ICE continues to investigate. Veenbaas is not employed in a position of trust and/or authority.
“Our investigators seized a number of computers and electronic devices from the suspect’s home, which at first glance yielded some pretty disturbing material and online chats. We are actively trying to identify victims,” said ICE Staff Sgt. Stephen Camp.
Anyone with information about this investigation or any child exploitation offence is encouraged to contact local police or www.cybertip.ca.
ICE began its investigation into Veenbaas after receiving information from National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The information concerned an Alberta suspect uploading child pornography images via social media applications.
ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime. Members of Calgary Police Service, Edmonton Police Service, Lethbridge Police Service, Medicine Hat Police Service, and RCMP work in ALERT.
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