U.S. man sentenced for child luring in case involving Saanich, B.C., girl

A Saanich Police vehicle is seen in Saanich, B.C., on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

SAANICH — An American man has been sentenced to 40 years in a U.S. prison for grooming children in a case that began when the parents of a 12-year-old girl from Saanich, B.C., went to police.

The Saanich Police Department says in a news release the girl’s parents told officers in April 2020, that they had discovered sexually explicit messages on their daughter’s phone from an unknown person.

It says officers immediately began a child-luring investigation and determined the suspect to be an American.

Police say they worked with U.S. law enforcement officers, who eventually took over the case and arrested Mark Wallin in July 2022.

They say investigators determined the Los Angeles man had been preying on girls and boys ranging in age from nine to 16 years old, grooming them to send him sexually explicit photos and videos.

Police say Wallin pleaded guilty to the production of child pornography and the enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity last September.

He was sentenced on May 16 to four decades in prison, and has a restitution hearing scheduled for Aug. 13.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.