Pervert Targeted Four Owen Sound Children

The Owen Sound Police Service has concluded a lengthy investigation into incidents involving four young females from Owen Sound being lured over the Internet.

Owen Sound Police Service Detective Sergeant Jeff Fluney stated, “During the early morning hours of December 18, 2014, members of the Owen Sound Police Service Criminal Investigation Branch and the Halton Regional Police Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE Unit) executed a search warrant at a home in Oakville. Our two services joined forces earlier this week when it was determined the Halton Regional Police were investigating an incident where a 15-year-old female from Pennsylvania, U.S.A. was being lured by the same suspect.”

All the victims were contacted by the suspect who had used a fake identity on a social networking site. Once befriended, they were asked to send nude photographs of themselves. If the victims did send the photos, they were extorted by the male and told to send more photos or else the photos he already had would be sent out over the Internet.

To protect the victims, police are not releasing any details of how many sent photographs.

The four victims from Owen Sound, ranging from 12 to 13 years old, had been contacted back in the spring and summer of this year.

The 18-year-old male suspect was located in the home and arrested. Members of the Halton Technological Crimes Unit attended and seized computer devices within the home for analysis. The accused, who cannot be identified as he was a Young Person at the times of the offences, was held in custody for a bail hearing at the Ontario Court of Justice in Milton, facing a total of 5 counts of Luring a Child, 2 counts of Extortion, and 2 counts of Possession of Child Pornography. He has since been released on several conditions including not to use or possess any computer, device or cell phone capable of accessing the Internet and not be where persons under the age 18 years are present or expected to be present.

“Thankfully in these cases the victims reported the contact to their parents and school officials who contacted police. I would again like to emphasize the importance of parents keeping open lines of communication with their children/teens regarding their on-line activities. Speak with your children, talk about the need for and set up ground rules for Internet use, involve them in that critical conversation and educate them on the danger of sexual predators using the Internet,” said Fluney.