A Grande Prairie man, along with 25 others across the province, has been charged with a child pornography offence after an investigation by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team’s Internet Child Exploitation unit. Authorities say the investigation took place between June 20 and September 17, 2020, and led to a total of 63 charges being laid.
40-year-old Brian Farris of Grande Prairie is facing at least one child pornography offence. Police say most of the arrests came as the result of tips from the RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre, which works with internet and social media providers to track and investigate online instances of child sexual exploitation.
“In Alberta, those who participate in the exploitation of children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The Government of Alberta will ensure our law enforcement has the tools and resources to track down child predators and bring them to justice,” adds Alberta Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Kaycee Madu. “On behalf of all law-abiding Albertans, I thank ALERT and the law enforcement organizations across the province that worked tirelessly to arrest and charge these criminals. Alberta’s justice system is here for all Albertans, especially for children victimized by sexual predators.”
Police say there is no evidence to show a definitive link between the suspects other than the nature of offences allegedly committed. ICE speculates that the rise in the number of investigative referrals is likely in part related to digital dependency during COVID-19 isolation measures.