Alberta man accused of sharing 'extremely graphic' child porn with U.S. prison inmate
Accused is a member of the fire department on the Kikino Métis Settlement in northern Alberta
A northern Alberta firefighter faces child exploitation charges for allegedly sharing child pornography with an inmate serving time in an American prison.
The cross-border investigation, conducted by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team's Internet child exploitation unit, U.S. Homeland Security, and the Knoxville Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, has resulted in two arrests.
A 44-year-old man from the Kikino Métis Settlement, about 200 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, was arrested Aug. 26 by ALERT officers and members of the Lac La Biche RCMP.
'Violent and graphic messaging'
Investigators say the man allegedly shared "extremely graphic" child exploitation material with a 28-year-old inmate in Knoxville, Tenn. The two met on a social media application, and the images were shared after the inmate allegedly smuggled an electronic device into the prison.
"They were just communicating through a social media application," Det. Ian McFatridge of ALERT told CBC News.
"They were going back and forth. They were sharing sexually explicit pictures, and there was quite violent and graphic messaging about offending on children."
McFatridge said the nature of the messages added urgency to the case, and investigators in Knoxville immediately contacted Alberta law enforcement agencies.
"This unfolded rather quickly," said McFatridge. "Because, at the onset there was the undertone that there was a potential child at risk. So they were quite diligent down on their end in Knoxville, and recognized that there was that potential from what we were seeing."
No victims named
The man arrested in Alberta is a member of the Kikino Métis Settlement Fire Department. He has been charged with the possession, distribution and making of child pornography.
However, McFatridge said investigators "have no reason to believe" the Alberta suspect was actually involved in the creation of the child pornography, or that any Alberta children were victimized in the case.
The U.S. inmate was serving an eight-year sentence for sexual exploitation of a minor.
He has been indicted for distribution and possession of child pornography, charges that carry a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, and up to 40 years.
He appeared before a federal grand jury on Sept. 20, and is set for arraignment Oct. 3.
The Alberta suspect in the case is scheduled to appear in Lac La Biche court on Oct 31.
"To smuggle an electronic device into a prison reveals the risks that a child predator will take to victimize a child," Knoxville police chief David Rausch said in a statement.
"This investigation should also serve as a reminder to all child predators that our Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force along with ALERT Internet Child Exploitation and United States Homeland Security knows no borders when it comes to tracking down people who choose to victimize children."