An investigation by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team’s Internet Child Exploitation unit resulted in the rescue of a child from a Lethbridge home and charges against the child’s mom.
According to ICE, the alleged child abuse was found in evidence from an investigation in Barnwell, Alberta in September where a 41-year-old man was arrested. Police believe the Barnwell suspect and the child’s mother were in a previous relationship and “sexually assaulted the child, in addition to sharing child sexual abuse materials.”
According to a news release from ICE, “The search of the Barnwell home took place on September 19, 2023, which was prompted after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) who shared information about an Alberta suspect uploading child pornography via Facebook.”
Police say computers seized from the home had nearly half a million photos and videos of child sexual abuse materials.
“ICE identified a series of materials that they believed were unique and possibly created by the accused. Further investigation into this series of child sexual abuse materials revealed that the materials were produced in Alberta and ICE was able to identify a suspect and child being abused,” the news release says.
Police say the child has received help from specialized support services and Alberta Children’s Services is involved.
The 34-year-old Lethbridge woman is facing charges of sexual assault and sexual interference, along with charges of making, distributing and possessing child pornography. She was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on December 19th. Police are not releasing her name to protect the victim.
The 41-year-old man from Barnwell is facing similar charges including sexual assault and charges for making, accessing and possessing child pornography. He was also released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on January 16th in Taber.
According to ALERT, several police agencies helped with the investigation including the Taber Police Service, Lethbridge Police Service, Medicine Hat Police Service and Vauxhall RCMP.