30-year-old Calgary man charged with online luring of teen girl

WATCH ABOVE: A 30-year-old man is facing several charges in relation to the online luring of a 13-year-old girl. The girl’s mother discovered the relationship and reported it to police. Global’s Jenna Freeman reports.

CALGARY – Police have charged a 30-year-old man in connection with the online luring of a 13-year-old girl.

Officers launched a three-month investigation in March 2015, after a woman contacted them about reports of an inappropriate relationship between her daughter and an unknown man.

The woman indicated to police that she had noticed her daughter receiving more text messages than usual, and didn’t recognize the phone number they were coming from. She also became concerned when a neighbour reported seeing the girl with a stranger in his 30s.

Investigators say the accused created fake online profiles on a teen-specific social media site to engage teens in online chats. He is accused of posing as a teenage girl, and asking the victim to meet with ‘her’ and an “older friend” – who was actually the suspect.

“In this circumstance, the person maintained a single fictitious persona, and then that conversation and relationship evolved… but there was communication using more than one social media platform,” said Det. Jeff Klinger of the CPS Child Abuse Unit.

On July 15, police arrested Matthew Tyler Holland, charging him with two counts of luring a child by telecommunication, one count of invitation to sexual touching with a child under 16 years of age, one count of making or publishing child pornography and one count of communication for the purpose of obtaining sexual services.

Police have released a photo of Holland in the interest of public safety. He is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

They’re asking anyone, parent or teen, who believes they are a victim of online exploitation, to call their  non-emergency line at 403-266-1234 or contact Crime Stoppers.

Police are asking parents of underage youth to be cognizant of their digital activities. Parents are encouraged to have access to, and regularly monitor, their child’s social media accounts, cell phone messaging applications and other sources of digital communication.  For more information for parents and teens on what to do if you believe that you or your child may be a victim of sexual abuse or online exploitation, go to www.sheldonkennedycac.ca or www.cybertip.ca.

Signs your teen may be experiencing side-effects of online exploitation:

• Sad or crying frequently
• Displays of anger
• Loss of appetite
• Loss of interest in activities, hobbies or sports
• Not wanting to attend school
• A sudden change in their activity level on their own social media platforms

Important ongoing discussions to have with your teen about online contact with others:

• Explain that adults should not be attempting to become “friends” with or give sexual attention to teenagers. Let them know this type of boundary-breaking behaviour demonstrates the adult is using poor judgment, making it unsafe to interact with them.
• Discuss that it is illegal to threaten someone online or offline. Explain that threats are often used in an attempt to control the situation and get youth to comply with demands of a sexual nature. If someone threatens her/him, s/he needs to tell a safe adult (whether it be you, a teacher, a counsellor, etc.).
• Explain that there is no need or urgency to respond to any messages. Teach her/him not to respond to messages that make her/him feel uncomfortable.
• Discuss how sharing personal issues or situations online with the wrong person could leave someone open to manipulation and mistreatment.
• Use real life stories from the media to discuss situations that have happened to teens. Seize the opportunity to openly talk about these stories with your teen, as well as the risks, and discuss what could have been done differently. Your child is less likely to become defensive as the scenario is not about her/him personally. At the same time, it opens the door for your child to share a similar situation or concern with regard to her/him or one of her/his peers.
• Teach your adolescent how to get out of unwanted conversations and/or relationships. Some direct ways of getting out of uncomfortable situations include refusing to do something by saying “I don’t want to” or “no thanks” or discontinuing contact by not responding to messages, and deleting or blocking the person as a contact. Indirect ways of ending a conversation include making excuses such as “I have to go out with my family.” or blaming parents “my mom checks my computer randomly and would ground me.”
• Explain the importance of seeking your help without the fear of her/him getting into trouble and reinforce that it’s never too late to ask for help, even if they are embarrassed about what has happened.