A 26-year-old member of the Parkland County Fire Services, Matthew Shaw, has been charged with child sexual exploitation offences following an investigation by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit.Shaw was arrested on June 5, 2024, with the assistance of the Parkland RCMP, and faces charges including possession, accessing, and transmitting child pornography, as well as two counts of unsafe storage of a firearm.The investigation began in October 2023, after the RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Center notified ALERT of alleged offences involving the distribution of child sexual abuse material on Snapchat.Staff Sgt. Jon Morrison, ALERT ICE, emphasized that the charges highlight the need for awareness and education on online safety among parents and children, as offenders come from all walks of life.“We have charged suspects from all sorts of professions, all walks of life, and there is truly no demographic profile. This underscores the needs for awareness and education between parents and children concerning online safety,” said Jon MorrisonA search of Shaw's home yielded several computers, electronic devices, and firearms, which are being examined for further evidence. Shaw's position as a firefighter placed him in a position of trust, and ICE encourages anyone with information to come forward.Shaw has been released on court-imposed conditions and is scheduled to appear in court on July 3, 2024.
A 26-year-old member of the Parkland County Fire Services, Matthew Shaw, has been charged with child sexual exploitation offences following an investigation by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit.Shaw was arrested on June 5, 2024, with the assistance of the Parkland RCMP, and faces charges including possession, accessing, and transmitting child pornography, as well as two counts of unsafe storage of a firearm.The investigation began in October 2023, after the RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Center notified ALERT of alleged offences involving the distribution of child sexual abuse material on Snapchat.Staff Sgt. Jon Morrison, ALERT ICE, emphasized that the charges highlight the need for awareness and education on online safety among parents and children, as offenders come from all walks of life.“We have charged suspects from all sorts of professions, all walks of life, and there is truly no demographic profile. This underscores the needs for awareness and education between parents and children concerning online safety,” said Jon MorrisonA search of Shaw's home yielded several computers, electronic devices, and firearms, which are being examined for further evidence. Shaw's position as a firefighter placed him in a position of trust, and ICE encourages anyone with information to come forward.Shaw has been released on court-imposed conditions and is scheduled to appear in court on July 3, 2024.
