EDMONTON — Two Edmonton men, including a high school teacher and a music instructor, have been charged with child sexual exploitation offences following an investigation by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams’ Internet Child Exploitation unit.
Police say 36-year-old Katz Dawson, a teacher at Lillian Osborne High School, is charged with possessing and accessing child pornography. Thirty-two-year-old Allan Nelson, who offered music lessons at Fiddle & Fugue out of his home, faces the same charges.
The two men shared an Edmonton residence that was searched by ICE on Sept. 11 after investigators received a tip from the RCMP’s National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip involved a suspect allegedly sharing child sexual abuse materials online through the social media app Kik.
Computers and electronic devices belonging to both men were seized and analyzed by forensic technicians, who police say found child sexual abuse material. Nelson and Dawson were charged on Sept. 16 and 18.
ICE says while the investigation centres on online activity, the nature of the men’s employment placed them in positions of trust and authority.
“Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact local police or Crime Stoppers,” the unit said in a release.
Both men have been released on conditions, including no contact with anyone under the age of 16.
ALERT, which houses the ICE unit, is funded by the Alberta government and brings together specialized law enforcement resources to tackle serious and organized crime.
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