Edmonton sex offender charged after child abducted in west Edmonton

A 52-year-old convicted sex offender has been charged in connection with a child abduction that occurred in west Edmonton this week.

Police said officers responded around 12:15 p.m. Tuesday to reports of a “suspicious person” in the area of 177 Street and 69 Avenue in the Callingwood area.

It was reported to police that a man was attempting to lure a 10-year-old boy away from a park by offering him a vape pen, said Det. Rob Davis with EPS Child Protection Section in an update Thursday.

When officers arrived, they were directed by a witness to a nearby shopping complex where they found the boy and the suspect was arrested.

“It’s still an active investigation that hasn’t been concluded yet, but I can speak to the fact that the 10-year-old boy did leave the original area of the park that he was in,” Davis said, adding the boy was found safe and unharmed.

The suspect had two imitation firearms in his possession at the time of his arrest, police said.

Curtis Allan Poburan, 52, has been charged with abduction of a child under the age of 14 years, criminal harassment, using an imitation firearm in the commission of an offence, two counts of possession of an imitation weapon for the purpose of committing an offence, two counts of carrying a concealed weapon, three counts of breaching a probation order and failure to comply with an order.

Poburan is a convicted sex offender about whom police have warned the public multiple times. Davis said he had just been released from jail on probation in December.

Before that, he was arrested on warrants in September stemming from an incident in July.

At that time, police said Poburan had been charged with criminal harassment and released on bail after an incident that saw someone approach “two unknown boys in a park, harassing them and causing them to reasonably fear for their safety.”

Davis addressed Poburan’s criminal history and the July incident on Thursday.

“Poburan definitely posed a significant risk to minors, especially males — focused on males under the age of 16, as he was a diagnosed pedophile with a history of sexual offences against male children,” Davis said.

Davis said the suspect allegedly reoffending six weeks after being released from custody is extremely frustrating.

“Children are the most vulnerable complainants we have and that we deal with, so their safety is paramount.”

Police said the victim is receiving support from the Zebra Child Advocacy Centre.

If anyone has further information about what happened or was victimized in a similar way, they are asked to call the Edmonton Police Service at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone.