Parkland County firefighter charged with child sexual exploitation crimes

The Snapchat app appears on a mobile device in New York, Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017. (Richard Drew / The Associated Press)

A firefighter in Parkland County west of Edmonton is accused of sharing child sexual abuse material over the app Snapchat.

Matthew Shaw, 26, was charged on June 5 with possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, and transmitting child pornography, as well as two counts of unsafe storage of a firearm.

Investigators are examining several computers and electronic devices they seized from his home.

The RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre notified the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams' (ALERT) internet child exploitation unit of his alleged offence in October 2023.

Pointing to Shaw's job at Parkland County Fire Services, ALERT Staff Sgt. Jon Morrison commented, "We have charged suspects from all sorts of professions, all walks of life, and there is truly no demographic profile. This underscores the needs for awareness and education between parents and children concerning online safety."

Shaw was released from police custody under several conditions and is scheduled to appear in court on July 3.