‘Record-breaking’ year for online child sexual exploitation in Alberta: ALERT

The number of investigations within Alberta’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit is only getting bigger.

“We have a problem, to be honest,” said Acting Insp. Jon Morrison with ALERT’s ICE unit.

2024 was a record-breaking year for online child sexual exploitation. ICE says there were more than 5,100 reports this year – up 35 per cent from last year.

Less than 2.5 per cent of reports ended up in charges – 128 people.

“We’re only focusing on the most severe cases that we’re seeing coming across,” Morrison said. “The unfortunate reality is a lot of them are being triaged out and not being worked.”

Morrison says the majority of cases received come from the United States, and police work across the border with internet service providers and social media companies like Snapchat, Instagram and Discord.

“This is a borderless crime,” Morrison said. “Where you might have a report of online child sexual exploitation in Canada, your offender could be in the U.K., and vice versa.”

ALERT and ICE are hoping parents talk to their children about the dangers the internet can bring.

“What we’re seeing through our experience is those conversations are not happening,” Morrison told CityNews. “Kids are increasingly being exposed to dangerous online behaviour very early. And they’re not prepared to deal with it.”

As the year winds down, Morrison is worried 2025 will be just as bad as 2024.

“We’re not seeing anything indicating a downward trend. Everything is pointing that this is going to continue to be a significant problem for law enforcement moving forward.”