A 37-year-old Lethbridge man is charged with a number of sex offences allegedly committed against a 13-year-old girl, police said Tuesday.
The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) said the man was allegedly having sexual online chats with an underage girl.
ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE) also believes nude photos were being exchanged.
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ALERT alleges “the suspect made deceptive arrangements to meet with the victim and enticed her away from her caregivers — actions that, under the Criminal Code of Canada, constitute abduction,” the agency said in a news release.
“When the two met in person, the girl was sexually assaulted,” ALERT said.
Lethbridge police and RCMP helped with the investigation, which began in September 2017.
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Gary Lippa was arrested on Feb. 22 at his Lethbridge home. A number of computers and electronic devices were seized.
Lippa is facing charges of abduction, sexual assault, three counts of child luring, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, making child pornography, accessing child pornography and possessing child pornography.
He is scheduled to appear in court on March 9.
Police are not aware of any other victims but anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact local police.