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Northern Ont. man charged with sexual assault, luring of 13-year-old

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A 21-year-old northern Ontario man is charged with several sexual offences after police received a complaint about an "inappropriate relationship" with a 13-year-old girl, police say.

The James Bay detachment received the call May 2 about a man who lives in Hearst, Ontario Provincial Police said in a news release.

After "an extensive investigation," the suspect was arrested May 7.

He is charged with luring someone under 16 "by means of telecommunication," sexual interference, three counts of sexually assaulting someone under 16, possession of child pornography and failing to comply with a probation order.

The accused was released on bail.

"Due to the nature of the incident, the name of the accused will not be released in order to protect the identity of the victim," OPP said."

OPP Const. Kyler Brouwer said this type of situation could happen on any social media app.

"Child predators use online chat rooms and social media applications -- as millions of children do every day -- to gain access to children," police said.

"We encourage parents and caregivers to proactively speak to children about online safety."

If you suspect a child is being exploited or is in danger, contact police or 911 in an emergency.

Canadian Centre for Child Protection has information and resources for families about keeping children safe online.

"As a parent/guardian it’s important to understand the purpose of apps and how your child may be negatively impacted by using them," Brouwer said.

Here are some tips for parents and caregivers of teens who use technology:

  • Become familiar with parental controls on phones and tablets. Some devices allow parents to limit access to specific apps, social media sites, internet content and features available within the device. On iPhones and iPads parents can enable restrictions under the settings icon, however, age many youth can bypass such settings.
  • Download and sign up for apps with your teen. You may want to create an account for your child rather than allowing them to use your account. The birthdate entered for an Apple ID account, for example, restricts what a user can download based on the age ratings for the apps.
  • Become familiar with popular apps your teen is asking to download. Understand their purpose, how information is shared and what information is needed to sign up for the account.

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