A man on Vancouver Island has been arrested and charged with multiple child porn and child exploitation offences, after Mounties were first tipped off by police investigators from the United States in 2023.
In a release Tuesday, the West Shore RCMP says the BC Integrated Child Exploitation Unit (BC ICE) received information from the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations about a suspect who they believed to live in B.C., who was allegedly “engaging in child exploitation offences.”
“BC ICE immediately launched an investigation and identified a male suspect who allegedly lured three female youth victims online and exploited them, while making child sexual abuse material of them and making the media available on the internet for others to see,” the Mounties said.
In January, the RCMP executed a search warrant at a home in Langford, just outside Victoria, and in May, seven charges were approved by the BC Prosecution Service.
Jae Alexander Hegan, 31, has been charged with seven counts of child exploitation offences, including making, distributing, possessing and accessing child pornography.
“Online child exploitation poses a grave threat to the well-being of our youth, and this case highlights the importance of cross-border cooperation in combating these crimes. We recognize the dedication and collaboration investigative units across Canada and the United States have, to work tirelessly together to identify, arrest and charge online predators,” Staff Sgt. Natalie Davis of BC ICE said.
“Predators are online and accessing our youth at home, in the privacy of their bedrooms. It is important for adults to have conversations with the youths in their lives about how to stay safe online,” she added.
Police say Hegan has since been released from custody with multiple conditions while he awaits his next court date. None of the allegations have been proven in court.