A 19-year-old man from Beaverlodge, a small town west of Grande Prairie, is charged with child luring and child sexual exploitation offences involving a girl in British Columbia.
Police say he met her on the online game Roblox. Their conversations later moved to Snapchat, where police allege the messages became sexual and the girl was coerced into sharing explicit photos and videos.
Her parents found the messages and called police.
The charges
The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) say Kenneth Livesey, 19, was arrested on Oct. 29. He faces four charges:
Child luring
Making sexually explicit material available to a child
Making child sexual abuse and exploitation material
Possessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material
He was released from custody and is due in court in Grande Prairie on Nov. 18.
The charges have not been proven in court.
Where is Beaverlodge?
Beaverlodge is a town in northwestern Alberta, west of Grande Prairie. ALERT identifies the accused as a Beaverlodge resident. His next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 18 in Grande Prairie.
How the case crossed provinces
The girl’s parents reported the messages to Kelowna RCMP. Investigators there identified the suspect and passed information to ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation unit in Alberta.
“Criminal activity does not recognize jurisdictional boundaries, and neither does effective policing,” said Cpl. Steven Lang of Kelowna RCMP.
Police haven’t released the girl’s age, how long the messages went on, or whether the two ever met in person.
Why switching apps is a red flag
Police say the move from Roblox to Snapchat is a common pattern.
“Diverting the conversation to other platforms is a common tactic by offenders to evade detection and in some cases bypass existing safety protocols,” said Acting Sgt. Matt Pepper of ALERT.
Games like Roblox have chat filters, moderators and parental controls. Once a conversation moves to a private messaging app, many of those protections are gone.
What parents can watch for
ALERT’s online safety guidance points to a few warning signs:
Someone a child met in a game or online wants to keep talking on another app
Offers of gifts, rewards or game upgrades
A child who suddenly seems anxious or secretive about their phone or games
None of these proves something is wrong, but they’re worth a conversation.
Cybertip.ca recommends talking to kids about how online luring works, and making sure they know they can come to you, even if a conversation has already gone too far. Online luring doesn’t require meeting in person. Pressuring a young person to send sexual images can be reported as luring.
In this case, the girl’s parents noticed and acted. That’s what led to the arrest.
How to report it or get help
Report online child exploitation: local police or Cybertip.ca, Canada’s national tip line
If a sexual image of a young person has been shared: NeedHelpNow.ca can help with reporting and getting it taken down
Kids and teens who need to talk: Kids Help Phone, 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868, free and open 24/7
If a child is in immediate danger: call 911
Last month, in a separate case, a Spruce Grove man was charged with child luring after an undercover investigation in Calgary.
What police haven’t released
ALERT’s release does not disclose the girl’s age, how long the alleged communication lasted or whether there was any in-person contact. It also does not say whether investigators believe other children were involved.
Anyone with information about this investigation can contact local police or Cybertip.ca.
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