NS child luring case could be more widespread than first believed

Halifax — The investigation into a Nova Scotia man accused of internet luring could be more widespread than first believed.

It’s been two weeks since Nova Scotia RCMP arrested and charged Alexander John Ernst with attempting to lure young girls over the internet for a sexual purpose.

The investigation started with one parent, who alerted police in Bridgewater, N.S., that a 29-year-old man was talking with his 10 and 12-year-old daughters over social media. Once investigators made a appeal to the public for help and started looking into Ernst, they quickly found more children he was speaking to.

“I can say that the public appeal thus far has been very successful. We’ve had parents, teachers, and principals come forward,” says Cst. Laura Seeley, with the RCMP Provincial Internet Child Exploitation Unit.

Ernst has been a registered sex offender for nearly a decade, with prior convictions for accessing and possessing child pornography. To date, RCMP have been able to identify more than a dozen children who have had contact with him.

“It’s a very complex investigation, which is typical for any ICE investigation,” Cst Seeley told Global News.

RCMP have confirmed to Global News that Ernst did have contact with some children outside of the Bridgewater area.

“The majority of the people that have come forward are from the Bridgewater area, however it’s safe to say there are people who have come forward outside that area, still within the province of Nova Scotia.”

As part of their investigation, RCMP officers executed a search warrant at a home in Maitland, N.S., not far from Bridgewater. Police won’t confirm exactly what they found at the home, but do say they seized a number of devices and are still working to process a “large volume” of evidence they have gathered so far in the case.

Authorities aren’t ruling out that additional charges could be laid against Ernst in the future. He is scheduled to appear in Bridgewater Provincial Court on February 24. At that time, his lawyer may try to have him released on bail.

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