An Australian man has been arrested for child luring after an Edmonton woman reported a man tried to meet her 13-year-old daughter for sex.
The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) said the girl’s mother found online conversations between her daughter and the accused. She contacted Edmonton police, which resulted in the arrest of a man at an Edmonton hotel on Feb. 10.
“It was very clear what the intentions were,” Insp. Dave Dubnyk said.
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“I want to applaud the efforts of the victim’s mother,” he added. “This is exactly what we ask parents to do.
“It was her intuition and quick thinking that potentially prevented her daughter from becoming the victim of a sexual assault.”
Officers said the interaction started on a gaming application and then moved to other networks.
Dubnyk also praised the work of police officers in both Edmonton and New South Wales.
“This investigation again demonstrates the efforts Edmonton police will go to protect our children.”
ALERT said the man’s Australia home was searched by authorities in that country on February 21, where computers and electronic devices were seized and will undergo forensic examination.
“The internet allows us to access the world from wherever we are, and while advantageous in so many areas of life, it also creates opportunities for online predators,” sex crimes Det. Linda Howlett said.
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“The relationships we have with our law enforcement colleagues across the globe have never been more important for potential child victims.”
Watch below: ‘I wish I could say it was rare’: ALERT on child luring charges
Dubnyk said this type of case isn’t uncommon.
“I’d like to say it was rare, but unfortunately, it happens far more often than we’d like.”
Jiashu Weng, 22, has been charged with luring a child under 14 years old, possession of child pornography and distributing child pornography.
He was scheduled to appear in court in Edmonton early Friday afternoon.
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Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact police or cybertip.ca.
“I’d like to reiterate to parents the importance of being engaged with their children and their online activities,” Dubnyk said. “Take time to learn what your children are doing online and who they’re engaged with on their social media… and who they’re chatting with online. This is a great case to start that conversation with your children.”
“In this case, we’re very fortunate that a child was not sexually assaulted, however, unfortunately, that’s not always the case.”
Watch below: An Australian man has been arrested for child luring after an Edmonton woman reported a man tried to meet her 13-year-old daughter for sex. Insp. Dave Dubnyk explains what parents should know.