Mother charged with sexual abuse of toddler in Edmonton area after FBI tip
Mother charged with sexual abuse of toddler in Edmonton area after FBI tip
A Strathcona County toddler has been rescued from suspected sexual exploitation, and the child's mother has been charged, police said.
The child was rescued on Saturday after police received a tip from the FBI in the United States 48 hours earlier detailing prolific and ongoing sexual abuse of a young child in Alberta.
The alleged sexual abuse was uncovered after the arrest of Brian Davis, 30, in Yuba City, Calif.
In September 2022, police in Nevada were investigating a possible child sexual abuse case.
A woman in Idaho contacted police in Sparks, Nev., after she was sent a video over Snapchat of a man sexually abusing a girl.
The man claimed to be living in Sparks.
Sparks police officers determined the man was a resident of Yuba City, Calif.
On Oct. 12, Yuba City police were contacted by the FBI, who provided them with the internet IP address of the suspect.
Yuba City police identified the man as Brian Davis.
Brian Davis (Credit: Yuba City Police Department)
A search warrant was conducted the same day, and Davis was arrested and charged with numerous counts of possession and distribution of child pornography, and a charge of oral copulation.
Investigators discovered Davis had been communicating through the social media platform Kik with a woman somewhere in the Edmonton region.
The chats between the two showed graphic sexual abuse of the woman's child, ALERT said.
"I’ve been a police officer for nearly 22 years and with this unit for nearly three, and this is some of the most egregious material I’ve been exposed to," Sgt. Kerry Shima told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.
After receiving the tip, investigators worked quickly to identify the mother and the child.
"The FBI provided us with that information on Friday morning and as a unit we pulled together and recognized the urgency of the situation. Our unit did an incredible job of working around the clock from Friday into Saturday night to do this."
The 35-year-old mother of the child has been charged with:
Sexual exploitation;
Sexual interference;
Arrangement to commit a sexual offence against a child;
Making child pornography;
Distribution of child pornography;
Accessing child pornography; and
Possession of child pornography.
The mother's name has not been released to protect the identity of the toddler.
"We’re typically dealing with male offenders. It’s very rare that we’re going to come across a mother offending on a child as well. That in itself as everyone can understand is quite shocking," Shima said.
"Early indications in our investigation are that the abuse has been ongoing for quite some time."
The woman has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear in Sherwood Park Provincial Court on Feb. 22.
The toddler was taken to hospital for evaluation.
Shima says the child has since been released from hospital and is receiving help from a variety of specialized agencies.
Investigators say the toddler's father was unaware of the alleged offences, and has been fully cooperative with the investigation.
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in CTV W5's 'What Happened to Ben,' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's calls for protests ahead of his anticipated indictment in New York have generated mostly muted reactions from supporters, with even some of his most ardent loyalists dismissing the idea as a waste of time or a law enforcement trap.
In an effort to keep the foreign interference story at the forefront, and to do an apparent endrun around the Liberal filibuster blocking one study from going ahead, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is forcing MPs to debate and then vote on a motion instructing an opposition-dominated House committee to strike its own review.
Officials are still looking for victims after a fire ripped through a building in Old Montreal last week, killing at least one person. At a press conference Monday morning, spokespersons for the Montreal police and Montreal fire department said six people are still missing. They come from various locations in Quebec, Ontario and the U.S.
An Ontario woman has launched a lawsuit seeking $500,000 from Tim Hortons after she suffered major burns from an alleged ‘superheated’ tea. The company has denied all allegations and said she was ‘the author of her own misfortune.'
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is due to meet with Vladimir Putin in a political boost for the isolated Russian president after the International Criminal Court charged him with war crimes in Ukraine.
Even at one of the tallest natural peaks on Earth, humans have left their mark in a trail of bacteria as researchers have found germs from coughing and sneezing that have been potentially preserved for centuries on Mount Everest.
The Town of Strathmore and Siksika Nation hosted the first Lead By Example Powwow this weekend in honour of a young Indigenous man who was shot to death four years ago.
Autopsies confirmed gunshot wounds as the cause of death for two constables responding to a domestic dispute Thursday, the Edmonton Police Service says.
Travel nurses go from place to place, all over the world, filling in wherever help is needed. To assist with current shortages, some are in Saskatchewan.
Pile O Bones hosted their 18th annual tattoo convention at the Turvey Centre on the weekend where artists from around the country were able to highlight their talent.
An Ontario woman has launched a lawsuit seeking $500,000 from Tim Hortons after she suffered major burns from an alleged ‘superheated’ tea. The company has denied all allegations and said she was ‘the author of her own misfortune.'
The University of Prince Edward Island Faculty Association says its staff has gone on strike after what it says are failed attempts to enter additional negotiations with the university's administration.
The student union president at Cape Breton University said food insecurity has become a concern for many students and the on-campus food bank cannot keep up with demand.
The University of Prince Edward Island coach is defending the team’s actions, after the University of Alberta team skated off the ice without handshakes at the U Sports Men’s Hockey National Championship in Charlottetown.
March 20 marks the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, and, after a long, grey winter, Torontonians can soon look forward to warmer temperatures and sunnier days.
An Ontario woman has launched a lawsuit seeking $500,000 from Tim Hortons after she suffered major burns from an alleged ‘superheated’ tea. The company has denied all allegations and said she was ‘the author of her own misfortune.'
Officials are still looking for victims after a fire ripped through a building in Old Montreal last week, killing at least one person. At a press conference Monday morning, spokespersons for the Montreal police and Montreal fire department said six people are still missing. They come from various locations in Quebec, Ontario and the U.S.
Two families were displaced early Monday morning after a fire ripped through a building in Montreal's Quartier Latin. No one was injured, according to the Montreal fire department (SIM).
The Rideau McDonald's Farewell March brought people from across the city, some dressed in costumes, who wanted to say goodbye to a part of what they say makes Ottawa Ottawa.
If you are yearning to walk the trails around Mud Lake in the Britannia Conservation Area, be aware there are wild turkeys looking for mates. A gang of three have been chasing and pecking at visitors to the nature trail for weeks.
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in CTV W5's 'What Happened to Ben,' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.
A community is in mourning after a 10-year-old girl was killed earlier this week when flames tore through her family’s camping trailer southeast of Brantford.
St. Patrick's day street parties in Waterloo, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau making an announcement in Guelph, and a woman charged with defrauding doulas round out the most-read stories of the week.
An Ontario woman has launched a lawsuit seeking $500,000 from Tim Hortons after she suffered major burns from an alleged ‘superheated’ tea. The company has denied all allegations and said she was ‘the author of her own misfortune.'
One person has been confirmed dead and six people remain missing as police continue to search for victims after a fire swept through a building in Old Montreal on Thursday.
Vancouver firefighters were called to the Downtown Eastside Sunday evening after a fire destroyed multiple tents in an encampment and spread to a building near Main and East Hastings streets.
An international student was swarmed and beaten by a group of people who ripped off his turban and dragged him across the sidewalk by his hair in Kelowna, B.C., Friday evening, according to a local politician.
Mounties in Port McNeill violated a suspect's Charter rights by failing to allow him to contact a lawyer promptly after his 2019 drug trafficking arrest, a judge has ruled.
Brian Davis (Credit: Yuba City Police Department)
