Internet child exploitation investigations on the rise in southern Alberta
Many investigations originate from Cybertip
The number of child exploitation investigations in Calgary is expected to increase by about 15 per cent this year compared to last year.
The Southern Alberta ICE (Internet Child Exploitation) unit says by the end of this year it will have investigated over 400 cases of child exploitation in Calgary, compared to about 380 last year.
Up to 60 of those cases originate from Canada's national tipline, called Cybertip.
- MORE CALGARY NEWS | Teen charged with murder in nightclub death of Calgary Stampeders' Mylan Hicks
- MORE CALGARY NEWS | 4 new women now allege to be victims of bus stop sex assault suspect
Cases typically involve a child being lured online, and a parent discovering their child has been sending intimate pictures of themselves, said Staff Sgt. John Guigon.
"There's a level of probably embarrassment for some people and this is a way to bridge the gap between the police and the victim," Guigon said of Cybertip.
He called the reporting tool an effective and important resource, especially since this type of crime is on the rise.
"The more that we live our lives online, the more these type of offences are going to occur," he said.
When it comes to child exploitation, quick reporting is crucial, says Signy Arnason with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.
"The quicker you report that, the more likely you are to disrupt the images from even appearing online and that's something certainly that we want to see less of."
RCMP, police and the Internet Child Exploitation teams in Alberta have laid charges in a number of exploitation cases recently. Last week, former Alberta Party candidate Terry Lo was charged with sexual assault against an underage girl.
In August, the ICE unit also arrested Laurence Bouwmeester, a 61-year-old Calgary man who faces numerous charges for an alleged sexual relationship with a teenage boy who lives in Lethbridge.
WATCH: Staff Sgt. John Guigon speaks following arrest of Laurence Bouwmeester in August, 2016.
With files from the CBC's Natasha Frakes