Lethbridge police have arrested a 35-year-old man in connection with a child sexual exploitation investigation involving an underage girl from Winnipeg.
The investigation, involving Alberta’s Alert Internet Child Exploitation unit (ALERT) and Winnipeg police, revealed the man made contact with the girl in March using the social media app Snapchat.
According to police, the man then allegedly coerced the victim into providing sexually explicit materials “despite knowing she was a youth.”
Winnipeg police were alerted to the offences in July, which spurred the interprovincial investigation.
In January, ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) executed a search warrant on a home in Lethbridge with the help of Lethbridge police.
Oscar Cubides Palacio faces several charges including child luring and making child pornography.
“Winnipeg Police Service is seeing an increase in the number of sextortion-related incidents,” said Sgt. Andrea Scott, with the Winnipeg Police Service. “By partnering with other law enforcement across Canada we can continue to build strong partnerships and achieve successful outcomes.”
“The same way the internet is connected globally, we have a strong network of law enforcement professionals that share intelligence and work cohesively to hold online offenders accountable. The internet isn’t anonymous,” said Const. Anthony Tupper, with ALERT ICE.
Palacio was released from custody under several court-imposed conditions. He is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 8.