A recent investigation by Saskatchewan’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit led to 117 charges against an Australian man.
In a media release Tuesday, the ICE Unit said the man “was grooming and luring young females online.” The man eventually pleaded guilty to 56 of the charges against him.
According to police, a complaint was received in October of 2019 from the parents of a 14-year-old Regina girl. The parents said the girl was being “counselled for sexual touching through two social media applications.”
The ICE Unit identified the suspect as an Australian youth-care worker and turned his name over to the Australian Federal Police Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team.
That group used the evidence gathered in Saskatchewan to get a search warrant, which led to the seizure of the man’s electronic devices. After further analysis, more victims were identified.
The ICE Unit comprises officers from the RCMP and Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert police services.