20-year-old arrested for alleged sextortion targeting girls aged 11 to 14 in Cranbrook, B.C.

Online sextortion incidents are on the rise. (CTV News)

A 20-year-old man has been arrested in connection to “sextortion” allegations that prompted a warning from police in Cranbrook, B.C., earlier this month, but charges have not yet been laid in the case.

In an update Wednesday, Cranbrook RCMP said its General Investigation Section had arrested the man in connection to “these and other online offences.”

The detachment did not elaborate on the alleged offences, other than to say there were “several” of them.

In their March 11 warning, Mounties said an unknown man had been using social media to solicit intimate images from young girls in exchange for money, drugs and alcohol.

The activity was targeting girls between the ages of 11 and 14, putting them at risk of sexual exploitation, Cranbrook RCMP said at the time.

The arrested man has been released on an undertaking to appear in Cranbrook provincial court at a future date, police said. They did not specify the date, and there are court records associated with the police file number in B.C.’s online system, suggesting that Crown counsel has not yet approved any charges in the matter.

“Police want to remind the public that it is important to be aware of your child’s online activity and remain diligent by educating yourselves and your children and to set boundaries in order to stay safe online,” Cranbrook RCMP said in Wednesday’s update.