Update: Another child rescued, more charges laid

Update: Another child rescued, more charges laid

Edmonton… Another child has been rescued and another arrest has been made in relation to an ALERT Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) investigation into a Strathcona County mother.

On February 9, 2023, ICE rescued a school-aged child in Edmonton who was allegedly being sexually abused by their father.

The 36-year-old father has been charged with a number of child exploitation offences. The father had allegedly been conversing online with a 35-year-old Strathcona County woman, whom ICE had charged earlier in the month for child exploitation offences committed against their own toddler-aged child.

On February 7, 2023, we released information regarding a toddler from Strathcona County being rescued from suspected sexual exploitation and ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit charging the child’s mother. Click here to read the full news release.

These new offences were uncovered during a preliminary forensic analysis of computers seized from the Strathcona County woman.

Forensic analysis, which still remains at its early stages, has also revealed new offences against the Strathcona County woman. On February 28, 2023, she was charged with:

  • Sexual assault;
  • Sexual interference;
  • Sexual exploitation;
  • Making child pornography x2;
  • Possession of child pornography;
  • Accessing child pornography;
  • Counsel to commit sexual assault x2;
  • Counsel to commit sexual interference x2;
  • Counsel to commit sexual exploitation x2;
  • Agreement or arrangement to commit sexual offence against a child; and
  • Distribute child pornography.

 

She now faces a total of 24 charges relating to child sexual abuse material. She was released and is scheduled to appear in court on March 22, 2023 in Sherwood Park.

Charges against the 36-year-old Edmonton father include:

  • Sexual assault;
  • Sexual interference;
  • Making child pornography;
  • Accessing child pornography;
  • Distributing child pornography; and
  • Possession of child pornography.

 

The suspect is not being named in order to protect the identity of the victim. He has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear in an Edmonton court on March 21, 2023.

ICE’s investigation is still in its primary stages and the unit fears they may uncover additional victims and is frantically combing through digital evidence to explore the possibility of other children at-risk.

Both children are receiving help from a variety of specialized support services, including Zebra Center for Child Protection and Edmonton Police Services’ Child at Risk Response Team.

A number of partner agencies were involved in this investigation including Strathcona County RCMP, Fort Saskatchewan RCMP, Edmonton Police Service, ALERT Surveillance teams, FBI, and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.

Anyone with information about this case or any child exploitation situation is asked to contact their local police or to report their concern anonymously at www.cybertip.ca.

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.

Since 2022, CISA has been guided by four pillars that focus the effort to promote an integrated, intelligence-led approach to combating organized crime; these are:

  • Building Relationships with Stakeholders;
  • Promote Intel Sharing Across the Province;
  • Being Proactive and Identify Emerging Trends; and
  • Investing in Our People Through Training and Development

 

Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta (CISA) has recently developed an Alberta Firearms Intelligence Centre (AFIC) to equitably expand access to firearms intelligence for all law enforcement agencies within Alberta. AFIC will provide timely, accurate, and actionable intelligence to law enforcement agencies and policy-makers to achieve the shared and collaborative goals of increasing public safety concerning firearm-related crimes.

Protecting Kids Online | Internet Child Exploitation

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

FILE INTAKES

680

872

1,149

1,114

3,815

2,994

2,764

SUSPECTS CHARGED

22

16

34

37

109

81

125

CHARGES LAID

87

45

123

160

415

351

413

CHILDREN RESCUED

26

78

56

43

203

46

100

EXHIBITS SEIZED

335

368

545

476

1,724

1,243

1,845

TOTAL PHOTOS/VIDEOS

262,400

511,133

1,374,310

606,254

2,754,097

2,551,921

13,260,819

Stopping Human Trafficking | HUMAN TRAFFICKING & COUNTER EXPLOITATION

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

SUSPECTS CHARGED

13

10

7

4

34

30

76

CHARGES LAID

79

46

87

19

231

96

157

VICTIM INTERVENTIONS

30

29

17

37

113

28

22

Intelligence & Expertise | CISA / Training

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

INTELLIGENCE REPORTS

409

296

327

442

1,474

1,560

1,318

TRAINING COURSES

5

3

8

11

27

36

25

CANDIDATES TRAINED

321

56

135

350

862

933

638

Disrupt & Dismantle Organized Crime | Combined Special Forces Enforcement

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

SUSPECTS CHARGED

40

27

42

32

141

197

168

CHARGES LAID

176

156

237

231

800

1,088

820

FIREARMS SEIZED

105

53

26

48

232

102

126

EST. VALUE OF DRUGS SEIZED

$906,814

$553,851

$2,725,161

$1,148,337

$5,334,163

$10,898,269

$334,093,020

PROCEEDS OF CRIME SEIZED

$218,133

$52,970

$130,996

$230,195

$632,294

$1,432,847

$21,740,617

ANNUAL Regional ResultS

ARRESTS

CHARGES

FIREARMS

DRUGS

PROCEEDS

CALGARY

24

110

14

$937,422

$65,881

EDMONTON

17

131

45

$592,839

$272,446

FORT MCMURRAY

8

78

4

$352,942

$144,301

GRANDE PRAIRIE

7

17

13

$192,145

$31,855

LETHBRIDGE

7

29

44

$349,773

$51,245

LLOYDMINSTER

24

93

41

$164,134

$12,504

MEDICINE HAT

37

179

13

$293,108

$7,861

RED DEER

17

163

58

$2,451,800

$46,201

TOTALS

141

800

232

$5,334,163

$632,294

Organized Property Crimes | Auto Crimes

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

SUSPECTS CHARGED

1

1

2

1

10

CHARGES LAID

11

47

STOLEN VEHICLES

23

15

1

6

45

245

118

RECOVERED ASSETS

$1,432,000

$941,025

$108,000

$260,000

$2,741025

$8,420,500

$3,919,500

Firearms investigations | Firearms lab & Gang suPpression teams

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

FIREARMS EXAMINATIONS

349

351

243

235

1,178

EXHIBIT EXAMINATIONS

1,316

1,409

891

1,099

4,715

SERIAL NUMBER RESTORATIONS

31

34

19

24

108

IBIS SUBMISSIONS

343

421

1,334

304

2,402

GUN SEIZURES

1

14

15

SUSPECTS CHARGED

4

22

26

CHARGES LAID

41

144

185

Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) involves images and/or videos that depict the sexual abuse of minors – the majority of which involve prepubescent children. Often, CSAM involves explicit and/or extreme sexual assaults against the child victim (Cybertip.ca).

Learn more about Internet Child Exploitation and ALERT’s integrated teams combatting this issue.

Ghost Guns are illegal, privately manufactured firearms or lower receivers. These weapons are often made with 3D-printers, and undermine public safety due to their lack of licensing requirements, serialization and safety controls.

Learn more about Ghost Guns on ALERT’s dedicated Privately Manufactured Firearms info page