Yukon RCMP has arrested one person for offences including making sexually explicit material available to a child. Police are sharing information in an attempt to notify other possible victims.
In February 2023, police began an investigation related to a youth receiving lewd messages through multiple social media platforms from an unknown person. The Yukon RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit took over the investigation.
Police executed a search warrant and later arrested an adult male in March 2023. This person was charged for offences including making sexually explicit material available to a child and criminal harassment. The male was released on several conditions and pending future court appearances. His conditions include not to use or possess any computer or device capable of accessing the internet and not to attend any place where persons under the age of 18 are reasonably expected to be.
In order to protect the privacy of the victim and the integrity of this investigation, few details will be released by police, including the name of the person arrested. However, the investigators believe that there may be other victim(s) in the area.
Anyone in the Whitehorse area who has received repeated, ongoing lewd images and/or messages from an unknown source is encouraged to reach out to Whitehorse RCMP or to another trusted support.
The following resources are available in Whitehorse:
- SART: The Yukon's Sexualized Assault Response Team (SART) provides a safe and confidential network of services that focus on needs and choices, and can be a resource for other sexualized offences that do not include assault. SART is available to people of all genders, ages, and sexual orientation who have survived a sexualized assault or other sexualized violence, to guide the process or be an ally.
- Website: https://yukon.ca/en/sartyukon/home
- Phone: 1-844-967-7275
- Victim Services: Victim Services provides services and help for victims dealing with a range of different crimes, regardless of whether or not the victim has reported the crime, a charge has been laid, or there has been a conviction.
The following resources are available online for youth, and for parents/guardians, teachers, and others who work with youth:
- Cybertip.ca provides current and age‑appropriate information and resources to help educate Canadians about how to keep children safe online and reduce child victimization;
- NeedHelpNow.ca helps teens stop the spread of sexual pictures or videos and provides support along the way, including step-by-step procedures for reporting images on social media;
- TheWhiteHatter.ca is an internet safety and digital literacy education specialist company, facilitating workshops and providing presentations on technology safety and privacy;
- MediaSmarts.ca is a Canadian not-for-profit charitable organization for digital and media literacy, providing leadership in advancing digital and media literacy in Canadian schools, homes and communities;
- KidsHelpPhone.ca is a 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, confidential support to young people in English and French.
The RCMP understands that investigations related to explicit sexualized material can have devastating effects on victims, and can cause intense feelings of shame, stress, and fear. We are here to help, and encourage anyone affected to report the incident to police or other support services. Police want victims to know that they can contact them and discuss an incident before making a decision to further participate in the investigation and court process.