By Troy Gillard

"unparalleled run of activity"

Red Deer man among 18 charged for online child exploitation in Alberta

Jun 26, 2020 | 10:48 AM

A 74-year-old man from Red Deer is one of 18 from across the province that have been arrested for offences related to online child sexual exploitation over the past month.

ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit says that between May 20 and June 23 the suspects were charged with a total of 65 offences. ALERT says most of the arrests came as the result of investigative referrals from the RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre, which works with internet and social media providers to track and investigate online instances of child sexual exploitation.

“Online child exploitation victimizes our most vulnerable and is a crime against an entire society that’s built around nurturing our children and keeping them safe,” Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer said in a release. “Identifying and arresting the perpetrators who prey on children is complex and challenging work, and I commend the investigators of ALERT’s ICE unit for their tireless dedication to this grim, but absolutely necessary, duty.”

ICE previously reported a record number of intakes in March having received 243 reported instances of online child exploitation in Alberta that month, far exceeding the unit’s two-year average of roughly 110.

“This is a level of activity that has been unparalleled in the existence of the ICE unit,” said Supt. Dwayne Lakusta, ALERT CEO. “ICE is working incredibly hard to put predators behind bars, but we need parents to do their part and be vigilant of their kids’ online activities.”

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ALERT says there is no definitive link between the suspects other than the nature of offences allegedly committed. Each has been charged with at least one child pornography offence:

• Hans-Ulrich Gerber, a 74-year-old man from Red Deer;
• An 18-year-old man from Edmonton, who was a young offender at the time of his arrest;
• Bryan Alas Hernandez, an 18-year-old man from Lethbridge;
• Dean Bertsch, a 62-year-old man from Sherwood Park;
• Brandon Bran Eguizabal, a 26-year-old man from Lethbridge;
• Tyson Campbell, a 27-year-old man from Edmonton;
• Evan Cardinal, a 31-year-old man from Frog Lake;
• Yonatan Castro Linares, a 25-year-old man from Lethbridge;
• Keone Friesen, a 21-year-old man from Calgary;
• Travis Harder, a 31-year-old man from Sherwood Park;
• Kristofer Hastings, a 28-year-old man from Edmonton;
• Darcy Hazard, a 57-year-old man from Airdrie;
• Anas Khatib, a 24-year-old man from Grande Prairie;
• Wayne Kupsch, a 52-year-old man from Edmonton;
• Richard McCleary, a 61-year-old man from Calgary;
• George Power, a 45-year-old man from Calgary;
• James Venance, a 63-year-old man from Edmonton; and
• Jesse Young, a 20-year-old man from Grande Prairie.