CALGARY — A 70-year-old Calgary man has been charged with multiple child sexual exploitation offences following an investigation by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams’ Internet Child Exploitation unit.
Michael Penfold was arrested May 28 at a home in Calgary’s southeast Cranston neighbourhood. The Calgary Police Service assisted ALERT investigators with the arrest and the execution of a search warrant at the residence.
Penfold is charged with making available, possessing and accessing child sexual exploitation material.
Investigators allege he shared and traded images online.
ALERT said the investigation stemmed from a proactive initiative targeting individuals suspected of distributing what police describe as some of the most serious forms of child sexual exploitation material being exchanged on the internet.
Staff Sgt. Gordon MacDonald of ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation unit said all child sexual exploitation material is harmful, but investigators were particularly concerned by the nature of the content involved in this case.
Police did not release additional details about the alleged material.
Penfold was identified through the investigation and subsequently taken into custody.
He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on June 18.
Investigators are asking anyone with information related to the case to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
ALERT, which is funded by the Alberta government, combines specialized law enforcement resources from agencies across the province to investigate serious and organized crime.
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