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GRANDE PRAIRIE – A 19-year-old Alberta man is facing child luring and sexual exploitation charges following a joint investigation into allegations involving an underage girl in British Columbia.
Kenneth Livesey, of Beaverlodge, was arrested Oct. 29 following an investigation involving Internet Child Exploitation units in Alberta and British Columbia.
Livesey has been charged with child luring, making sexually explicit material available to a child, making child sexual abuse and exploitation material, and possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material.
According to ALERT, Alberta’s specialized law enforcement agency, Livesey allegedly met the girl through the online gaming platform Roblox before their conversations moved to Snapchat.
Investigators allege the messages became sexual in nature and that the girl was coerced into providing explicit photographs and videos.
The alleged offences came to light after the girl’s parents discovered the messages and reported them to Kelowna RCMP.
Acting Sgt. Matt Pepper of ALERT says moving conversations between online platforms is a tactic commonly used by offenders attempting to avoid detection.
“Diverting the conversation to other platforms is a common tactic by offenders to evade detection and in some case bypass existing safety protocols,” Pepper said.
The investigation involved collaboration between law enforcement agencies in both provinces, with Kelowna RCMP working alongside Alberta investigators to identify and locate the suspect.
Cpl. Steven Lang, a media relations officer with Kelowna RCMP, says the investigation demonstrates the importance of co-operation between police agencies when offences cross provincial boundaries.
“Criminal activity does not recognize jurisdictional boundaries, and neither does effective policing,” Lang said.
“The swift actions of investigators in Kelowna led to the identification of the suspect, and through close collaboration with our Alberta partners, critical information was shared to support the ongoing investigation.”
Livesey was released from police custody following his arrest.
He is scheduled to appear in court in Grande Prairie on Nov. 18.
Mike Tucker, Communications Director for ALERT says they do not have any reason to suspect there are other victims at this time.
Police are encouraging anyone with information about the investigation or other suspected child exploitation offences to contact their local police service or submit a report through Cybertip.ca.
The allegations against Livesey have not been proven in court.
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