RCMP says a Langford man has been charged with seven child exploitation charges after a months-long investigation.
Jae Alexander Hegan, 31, has had seven charges approved against him including one count each of making or publishing child pornography, making child pornography available, possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, making sexually explicit material available to a person under the age of 16 and two counts of child luring.
In a release, RCMP says the investigation into the matter was conducted by the BC RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit (BC ICE), Homeland Security Investigations and West Shore RCMP starting in September 2023.
The U.S. Homeland Security Investigations unit reached out to the B.C. Integrated Child Exploitation Unit with information about a suspect who was believed to be in B.C. participating in child exploitation offences on an unspecified social media platform.
RCMP says the B.C. ICE unit identified the suspect who allegedly lured three girls online and exploited them, made child sexual abuse material of them and made the material available on the internet.
Hegan was arrested in January 2024 then charges were approved in May. He has been released on a number of conditions including governing his access to the internet and children under the age of 16.
“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,” states Staff Sergeant Natalie Davis of BC ICE.
“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.”
B.C. has recently taken steps to protect children online after a 12-year-old boy committed suicide after he was the victim of sextortion.
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Carson Cleland of Prince George is reported to have committed suicide in October, and his parents have since been fighting for more protections for kids online.
“His dad said (they’ve) been contacted by three families from Carson’s class where the kids were talking with strangers through their social apps online just like (Carson) was,” David Eby said to The Canadian Press in December.
“I think having had that conversation with him that there’s an opportunity for the province to make sure Carson’s memory is honoured and we actually go after the real threats that kids are facing.”
-With files from Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press
Laura Brougham
