A childcare provider in northwest Alberta has been arrested by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams for possession and distribution of child pornography.
The 52-year-old man, who provided children’s relief care in his home in Donnelly, Alta., was arrested on Feb. 8 with the help of McLennan RCMP, a news release said Friday.
ALERT does not suspect children in the man’s care were victimized, though investigators continue to interview children who were in his care and examine computers and electronic devices seized in the investigation.
Alberta Children’s Services is helping in the investigation which began last July when the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tipped off police in Alberta that an unknown man was uploading child pornography using a social media application.
ALERT’s internet child exploitation unit was able to identify the suspect who was charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
Provided emergency care
The man is believed to have acted as a relief care provider for children for a number of years, said ALERT spokesperson Mike Tucker.
“He would provide short-term or temporary care on an emergency basis, more as a relief for foster parents or care providers,” Tucker said.
The services provided by the man would have been licensed or regulated under Alberta Children Services, but “he would not have been an employee,” he said.
The man never had permanent care of any children, Tucker said.
Most recently the man had provided care to teen and preteen boys, he said.
Donnelly is 425 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.
Anyone with information about the investigation or any child exploitation offence is encouraged to contact local police or cybertip.ca.