In a substantial effort to trace a yet unknown victim of purported sexual assault believed to be as young as six years old, the Alberta police are invested in an ongoing investigation. The Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE), playing a key role in the case, has offered a photo from a potential crime scene – a bedroom where the alleged assault is speculated to have occurred.
The incriminating photo was unearthed from a mobile device belonging to the primary suspect, a 16-year-old adolescent, as revealed by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams. The location of the residence featuring the bedroom is thought to be within the Edmonton locale or possibly Vancouver Island, B.C.
Lead investigator, ALERT Sgt. Kerry Shima, underscored the urgency of locating the victim, whom they regard as having suffered untold hardships. The objective, Shima states, is to ensure the victim is given the necessary assistance merited in such situations.
Under the persistent cloak of anonymity provided by the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the suspect, apprehended on August 17, cannot be publicly disclosed. The arrest was instigated in July following a lead from the RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Centre, signaling that explicit underage content was being disseminated via Discord.
The gravity of the allegations against the teenager encompasses possession, access, and distribution of child pornography. At the time of the arrest, the teen resided in Bon Accord, Alta., a location north of Edmonton by roughly 30 kilomters.
The police speculate that the teen may have also spent considerable time in several different locations within the Edmonton vicinity. Known residencies in the recent past include the eastern shores of Vancouver Island, close to both Nanaimo and Ladysmith.
Whilst the victim’s identity is yet unconfirmed, investigators hold the belief that the minor is a girl under the age of ten, who could potentially know the suspect personally. As the case continues to unfold, ICE remains committed to a comprehensive forensic examination of computer hardware and electronic devices confiscated from the suspect.
