By Troy Gillard

arrested in january

Eckville man pleads guilty to child sexual exploitation charges

Oct 30, 2019 | 4:50 PM

A central Alberta man has admitted to committing sex exploitation crimes against children.

The 35-year-old man from Eckville, whose name is subject to publication ban, pleaded guilty in Red Deer provincial court on Wednesday to 26 of the 80 counts against him for offences dating from February of 2010 up to his arrest on January 10 of this year.

He pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sexual assault, sexual contact with a minor, sexually counselling a minor, possessing child pornography, making/printing/publishing child pornography, and distributing/selling child pornography.

The man was arrested after police in Australia tipped off the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit about a suspect involved in the online sharing of child pornography. More than a million photos and videos were then recovered when police searched homes in Eckville and Fox Creek.

The case is due back in court Nov. 6 when Carolyn Ayre, a specialized prosecutor from Calgary, will request that a psychiatric assessment be conducted prior to sentencing. A Gladue Report, which is used to determine appropriate sentencing for First Nations and Metis offenders, will also be ordered.

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A statement of facts detailing the crimes admitted to by the accused is also expected to be read in court next week.