Children’s Services worker faces child porn charges

‘Thousands’ of images found on work computer

A Fort McMurray man recently employed with Alberta Children’s Services is facing child pornography charges after “thousands” of images were discovered on work computers, says the province’s joint police team.

The 60-year-old man was charged after an April 11 arrest in Leduc by the Internet Child Exploitation unit, said the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) in a Wednesday release.

The offences relate to child pornography found on a work computer at the Children’s Services office in High Level, and the Athabasca Tribal Council Child and Family Services office, said the ICE unit’s Cpl. Cameron Dunn.

Children’s Services Minister Danielle Larivee said the man was placed on administrative leave when the investigation began. As soon as charges were laid, he was fired.

“It makes anyone sick to think the person we expect to take care of these vulnerable kids would potentially do that,” Larivee said.

“When a concern comes up like this, the response is to do so aggressively in the interest of the kids.”

The investigation was launched in November after a complaint from the Athabasca Tribal Council Child and Family Services office about images found on a work device, said Dunn. By then, the accused was employed as a case worker with Children’s Services in High Level.

Investigators were asking anyone with more information about the case to come forward due to the accused’s job, which put him in direct contact with children.

Larivee confirmed the man had direct contact with vulnerable children. She said her department won’t be reaching out to families, but encouraged anyone with concerns to contact police.

She said the department has an extensive pre-employment check, and workers are again checked if and when they transfer positions within government.

The “thousands” of child pornography images were discovered in January after the man’s work computers and devices were seized, said Dunn.

“No contact offences were revealed in the analysis that we did,” said Dunn.

Henry Victor Haineault is charged with two counts each of possessing and accessing child pornography.