Calgary man charged in alleged luring, sexual assault of several teen girls

A Calgary man is facing two dozen charges for the alleged online luring and sexual assault of several teenage girls.

The Calgary Police Service Child Abuse Unit began investigating in January 2024 after getting reports that a girl was sexually assaulted.

Investigators allege the victim agreed to see a man in-person after meeting him online. The pair then met in the man’s vehicle where he offered the girl alcohol in exchange for sexual acts, according to police.

The victim told her mother about the incident and the mother called police.

Police have since identified five more victims between the ages of 12 to 16-years-old.

It is alleged the suspect met each of the girls through online apps like Instagram and Snapchat, before meeting them in-person. The suspect offered each victim alcohol or marijuana in exchange for sexual acts, police say.

Darren Smith is an Acting Insp. with the CPS Major Crimes unit and says police cannot confirm if there are more victims, but says they have concerns.

“All the victims in this case were not known to each other, and did not know the offender,” Smith says. “When we’ve already got six victims, there is a chance that there are others out there.”

Calgary resident Hammad Shaikh, 24, is facing 24 charges including five counts of sexual assault, five counts of sexual exploitation, four counts of sexual interference and four counts of luring. He is also facing several charges for making, possessing and accessing child pornography.

The accused will appear in a Calgary courtroom on Sep. 10.

Anyone with further information is urged to contact police.

Calgary police out with online safety tips

Calgary police are out with a number safety tips that parents can discuss with their children about their online habits:

• Be aware of who you are interacting with. Strangers online might not be truthful about their identity
• Never post or trade digital photos of yourself
• Never reveal personal information including your address, phone number or school
• Never agree to meet someone in-person who you have interacted with online
• Tell your parents if you feel uncomfortable or receive threating emails, messages or texts

“The biggest thing is talking to your kids about online safety,” Smith says. “Never meet anyone that you met online.”