ICE unit arrests 13 following child-luring investigation
Thirteen people — all but one from the Edmonton area — have been arrested for child luring and related offences as a result of a series of investigations by Alberta’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit.
The arrests follow an eightmonth effort by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams’ (ALERT) ICE unit into capturing people online trying to make arrangements for sex with children.
A total of 69 charges have been laid, with the first arrests taking place from February to Oct. 11, said a Wednesday statement from ALERT.
Arrests were made in Edmonton, St. Albert, Wainwright, Drayton Valley, Fort Saskatchewan, and Barrie, Ont.
Three suspects based in the United States were also identified, and ICE has forwarded that information to its law enforcement counterparts south of the border.
None of the investigations are related, other than the similar nature of the offences.
The alleged crimes took place online, with a range of social media platforms and communications tools being used.
Thirteen men, including one who was a youth at the time, have been charged with at least child luring and/or attempted sexual assault against a child.
Nearly 50 computers and electronic devices were seized and analyzed as part of the investigations. Those charged include: John Leskosky, 42, from Wainwright
■ (three charges);
Adam Turner, 24, from Edmonton
■ (five charges);
Steve Chaytor, 51, from Edmonton
■ (five charges);
Jonas Karadics, 32, from Edmonton
■ (three charges);
Wilson Misay, 38, from Drayton
■
Valley (six charges);
Jonathan Dahmer, 31, from
■
Edmonton (eight charges);
TimothyOlsen,37,fromSt.Albert
■
(five charges);
Ryan Wiggins, 44, from Edmonton
■ (three charges);
Dean Baker, 51, from Edmonton
■
(four charges);
Taille Marron, 37, from Edmonton
■ (16 charges).
Yousef Ammar, 42, from Drayton
■ Valley (four charges); and
Travis Irwin, 29, from Barrie, ■
Ont. (four charges).
The ICE unit based in Edmonton includes investigators from the Edmonton Police Service and RCMP, as well as civilian forensic technicians.
During the investigations and subsequent arrests, ICE worked in collaboration with a number of police agencies, including Wainwright RCMP, St. Albert RCMP, Drayton Valley RCMP, Fort Saskatchewan RCMP, Edmonton Police Service, Barrie Police Service and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations.