Investigators with ALERT said an Edmonton man was facing charges, after its alleged he attempted to arrange to have sex with an 11-year-old girl.
Investigators with the ALERT Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit said Wesley Darrell Vander Leeuw, 43, was arrested on January 25, 2017, with the help of EPS officers from West Division.
At the time of his arrest, the suspect thought he was meeting a woman and her 11-year-old daughter for sex – when he had actually been communicating with an ICE investigator.
Investigators had been participating in online conversations with the suspect since December 2016, in that time; the suspect was allegedly having sexually explicit conversations, and trying to arrange for sex with the investigator’s fictional daughter.
The accused has been charged with making arrangements or agreement to commit sexual offences against a child and making child pornography.
He remains in custody, and is expected to make a bail application on January 27.
ALERT said Vander Leeuw is involved in coaching youth soccer in Edmonton – at this time, ICE has no information to suggest any children were targeted, but anyone with information on this case and accused is asked to come forward and contact police.
