A 28-year-old man from central Alberta has been charged with numerous sexual offences reportedly committed against a family member over a five-year period, ALERT said.
In a news release Thursday, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team said the man was arrested March 9 after an investigation by the internet child exploitation team.
Officials are not providing the exact location of the alleged offences nor the suspect’s name in order to protect the identity of the victim.
ALERT said the incidents happened in a small community in central Alberta and the victim is female.
“The victim is receiving a variety of specialized support and resources,” ALERT said. “Zebra Child & Youth Advocacy Centre is providing assistance and Alberta’s Children’s Services has been made aware.”
The investigation started in early March when the victim told an RCMP school resource officer they were being sexually abused by a family member, ALERT said.
“It is believed through the investigation that the prolonged abuse could have been stopped earlier yet, through reasons that are subject to this investigation, were not,” said Act. Insp. Jonathan Morrison of the ICE Unit.
“This includes a belief that the abuse had been reported by the victim to various trusted persons.
“Despite the adversity, the child victim demonstrated incredible bravery by not giving up and finding someone who would ultimately listen to her concerns and act, putting an end to the abuse.”
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Morrison reiterated how strong this girl was to keep trying to report the abuse.
“While we are certainly relieved to have stopped the abuse, I am disheartened and bothered by the fact that the abuse could have been stopped earlier,” he said.
“Children are extraordinarily vulnerable and as such deserve extraordinary protection.
“Failing to act, (failing to) report allegations of sexual abuse on a child is unacceptable,” Morrison said. “There is a legal and moral obligation to report sexual abuse of a child.”
He said there are criminal consequences being investigated for those adults who failed to report the disclosure. There are potential charges under the provincial Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act and under Section 15 under the Criminal Code, Morrison added.
A 28-year-old man has been charged with sexual assault, sexual interference, making sexually explicit material available to a child, making child pornography, transmitting child pornography, possession of child pornography and accessing child pornography.
The accused is set to appear in court on May 2.
To report a concern or potential child abuse:
- Call 911 if you or the person you are reporting is in immediate danger.
- Call the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-387-5437 (KIDS) to get help if you, or children you know, are being neglected, abused or sexually exploited.
- In Edmonton, complaints regarding the abuse or neglect of children can be directed to the Edmonton Police Service’s Children’s Services Crisis Unit at (780) 422-2001.
- Elsewhere in Alberta, concerns for the safety and well-being of a child can be reported to Child Intervention Services at 1-800-638-0715.
- Child exploitation concerns can also be reported anonymously at cybertip.ca.
Morrison said units like ICE need help from parents, coaches, teachers and community members to ensure child abuse is being reported.
“The truth is we cannot keep up to the file intake that is currently occurring within the ICE unit and we cannot do this alone.”
Morrison also stressed the importance of community partnerships, digital literacy, public education, properly funded victim support agencies, and cooperation between law enforcement.
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