An Okotoks man is one of twenty-four Albertans charged with child exploitation.
Following investigations by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT), a total of 60 charges were laid against a number of Albertans for child pornography, including Jeremy Henderson, 42, of Okotoks, said a press release from ALERT.
Henderson is facing three charges, including distribution of or selling child pornography, possession of child pornography, and accessing child pornography, according to RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Tammy Keibel.
He is scheduled to appear at Okotoks Provincial Court on May 7.
The slew of arrests, made between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2021, came after ALERT's Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit received a record 2,136 case referrals in 2020, a 40 per cent increase from 1,555 cases the year prior.
ICE collaborated with police departments around the province to make arrests, the release stated, and referrals came fom the RCMP's National Child Exploitation Centre, which works with Internet and social media providers to track and investigate online instances of child exploitation.
There is no definitive link between the suspects other than the nature of the alleged offences.
“This is a concerning consequence of our digital dependency during the pandemic," ALERT CEO Supt. Dwayne Lakusta said in a press release. "ALERT has responded by directing more tools and resources to our ICE units and we are prepared to travel to every corner of the province in order to stop child sex predators."
Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Hon. Kaycee Madu said in the press release increased funding to ICE has helped the units efforts.
"The sexual exploitation of children is a crime that tears at the fabric of society and preys on our most vulnerable," Madu said in the release. "Increased provincial funding is enabling ALERT to double the size of its ICE unit, ensuring it has the tools and resources to track down predators who commit these heinous acts and bring them to justice."
Each of the suspects was charged with at least one child pornography offence. The full list of suspects identified in the press release are:
- Michael Antonio, 25-year-old man from Calgary;
- Curt Backlund, 48-year-old man from Grande Prairie;
- Brad Bailey, 19-year-old man from Marlboro;
- Brett Beer, 54-year-old man from Onoway;
- Eric Bultmann, 30-year-old man from Calgary;
- Kevin Dykstra, 35-year-old man from Barrhead;
- Brian Harrison, 35-year-old man from Calgary;
- Jeremy Henderson, 42-year-old man from Okotoks;
- Bryan Hillman, 39-year-old man from Calgary;
- Christopher Hoffner, 34-year-old man from Medicine Hat;
- James Kydd, 39-year-old man from Calgary;
- Mica LePage, 44-year-old man from Edmonton;
- Jordan MacDonald, 30-year-old man from Edmonton;
- Cris Marshall, 29-year-old man from Stettler;
- Stedson McDonald, 32-year-old man from Grande Prairie;
- James Merrison, 21-year-old man from Edmonton;
- Traline Munn, 44-year-old man from Cold Lake;
- Krishnamoort Nalla Naidu, 38-year-old man from Edmonton;
- Van Linh Nguyen, 24-year-old man from Edmonton;
- Ivan Scott, 47-year-old man from Cochrane;
- Jerry Lee Thompson, 47-year-old from Fort MacLeod;
- Hunter Tonneson, 20-year-old man from Blackfalds;
- Chase Viau, 23-year-old man from Edmonton; and
- Richard Westland, 45-year-old man from Medicine Hat.
The investigation by ICE was aided by partner agencies, including Calgary Police, Edmonton Police, Lethbridge Police, Medicine Hat Police, and RCMP detachments in Barrhead, Beaverlodge, Blackfalds, Cochrane, Edson, Fort MacLeod, Grande Prairie, Onoway, Okotoks, Slave Lake, Stettler, and Wood Buffalo.
Anyone with information about these investigations, or any child exploitation offence is encouraged to contact local police or 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.
