Ont. 13-year-old charged in murder conspiracy after FBI, Interpol assisted investigation

An undated photo of a Thunder Bay Police Service vehicle parked in front of a police building. (File photo/Thunder Bay Police Service/Facebook)

A 13-year-old from Thunder Bay, Ont., has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder after a multi-national police investigation into online threats of a potential attack.

The Thunder Bay Police Service said on Wednesday that the accused was taken into custody on Tuesday, following an investigation that began on Oct. 6 and involved the FBI, Interpol and the RCMP.

Police said the investigation focused on online communications that involved a threat to the public in Thunder Bay as well as another country.

The investigation determined that the Canadian youth was communicating with a person believed to be in another country.

“It is believed attempts would have been carried out in the near future,” the Thunder Bay police said in a news release.

On Oct. 14, members of the local police service’s cyber crime unit, along with other specialized units and school resource officers, executed search warrants at two addresses in the Thunder Bay area.

The youth, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and counselling to commit an offence that is not committed.

The accused appeared in court on Tuesday and was remanded into custody.

Online grooming a key concern

In background information provided alongside the news release, police outlined how youth can be manipulated online by predators, extremists or criminals who exploit vulnerabilities like isolation or curiosity. Officers said this can lead to offences ranging from minor crimes to violence, such as school shootings or hate crimes.

In Ontario, police cybercrime units monitor this type of activity under the Criminal Code and Youth Criminal Justice Act.

“Grooming often involves gaining trust, normalizing crime, and escalating involvement – usually via private chats or online groups,” said police.

Police officials are urging parents and guardians to use online monitoring tools, talk to youth about online risks and report suspicious behaviour to police early, saying that timely action can prevent harm.

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