Following a joint investigation by London, Toronto, and Waterloo police, a 55-year-old Kitchener man is facing over a dozen charges for alleged inappropriate contact with underage girls.
Police say the man sent explicit messages and images via online platforms to users he believed to be teenage girls. He reportedly used Snapchat and another unspecified website to communicate with the victims under the usernames “Sam” and “Chuck.”
The timeline of these incidents is unclear, but investigators have been working on the case since February, according to a statement from London police.
On Thursday, police said the suspect allegedly arranged to meet one of the teenagers in person. Instead, he ended up being arrested in Burlington and transported to the custody of London police.
The accused has been hit with 17 charges, including five counts of luring a child under 16, three counts of transmitting sexually explicit material to a person under 16, as well as possessing child pornography, sexual assault, and sexual interference.
A court date has been scheduled for May 11 in London.
Police confirm that no injuries were suffered by anyone involved.
If there are any outstanding victims, they are asked to contact their local police service.
“London Police Service is a member of the Provincial Strategy to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation on the internet,” London police wrote in a statement. “This investigation is an example of the collaboration between police services aimed at keeping children safe from online exploitation.”
Anyone with information that could assist in this case is asked to contact London police at (519) 661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
