U.S. investigation leads to sexual offence charges against Alberta man

An Alberta man has been charged in a child sexual abuse materials investigation that started in the U.S.

An Alberta man is facing charges after local police were notified by American authorities about an investigation into a Canadian man who was sending explicit messages and photos to a youth.

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Vermilion and Lloydminster RCMP along with the Alberta Internet Child Exploitation unit opened an investigation, which led to the arrest of a Vermilion man on Nov. 19, and the seizure of child sexual abuse materials.

Christian Villahermosa, 35, has now been charged with possession of child pornography,

making child pornography, distribution of child pornography, accessing child pornography and luring a child.

Villahermosa was released on conditions and is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 15 in Vermilion.

Police are offering the following tips to the public to prevent online luring:

• explain to your children what online luring is and how it happens;
• ask your youth why they think this is a criminal code offence in Canada. Listen to their perspective and discuss the importance of laws to keep youth safe online;
• teach them about red flag behaviors that signal a situation is unsafe;
• discuss how to get out of conversations and/or online relationships when they feel uncomfortable. Discuss direct messaging (e.g., “I don’t want to” followed by deleting or blocking the person) and indirect messaging, such as making up excuses (e.g., “My mom checks my computer randomly and would ground me”).;
• emphasize the importance of getting help – coming to you or another safe adult or reaching out to needhelpnow.ca for help. Explain that if this has ever happened or does happen to them or someone they know, you want to know about it and want to help them. This is too serious for youth to manage on their own; and the good thing is they’re never alone and it’s never too late to get help; and
• share a real case and, together, identify the red flag behaviours/tactics and discuss what the youth should do. Download How to Talk with Teens about Online Luring for more information and a real case example.

“The best solution to ensure our children are safe online is education and prevention” Cpl. Brittany Pegg of the Vermilion RCMP said in a news release.

“Education is important for both youth and parents. If you don’t know about your children’s online presence, start asking questions. For more resources, visit the RCMP online resources and Cybertip.ca.”

To anonymously report online sexual exploitation of a child visit Cybertip.ca.

If you know a child who is in imminent danger or risk, call 911 or your local police.