Edmonton man facing sex charges exploited about 100 children using Snapchat, investigators say | 24CA News

A 21-year-old Edmonton man charged with sexually abusing kids is believed to have victimized upward of 100 women who’ve but to be recognized by investigators.

Imesh Ratnayake was initially charged in July in relation to sexual crimes in opposition to six kids, the youngest of whom was 11 years outdated. He was later launched on situations. 

Ratnayake is now dealing with 18 extra little one exploitation expenses — all associated to the six beforehand recognized kids — following a months-long investigation by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams’ Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit.

Ratnayake was re-arrested on Dec. 9 and remanded in custody. His new expenses embrace sexual assault, making little one pornography and little one luring.

Investigators allege he used on-line profiles on the social media app Snapchat to satisfy his victims and lure them into performing sexual acts.

After poring by means of not too long ago found photographs and movies, investigators now consider upward 100 kids have been exploited by the accused, Sgt. Kerry Shima of the ICE Unit stated throughout a news convention Wednesday. 

“These victims are unidentified and at this time, we are seeking from the public for assistance in identifying who they are,” Shima stated.

“We are asking parents in the Edmonton region, the Morinville and St. Albert areas to speak with their kids.”

Investigators, together with forensic technicians, have examined 1000’s of movies and pictures that depict victims of kid luring and sexual assault, Shima stated. 

“The material that they’ve gone through is highly explicit. The acts depicted in those videos and photos are egregious crimes against kids and we want to determine who these children are.” 

Investigators additionally wish to rule out the likelihood that different perpetrators have been concerned within the crimes depicted within the movies and pictures, Shima stated. 

Vapes, marijuana, alcohol used to lure victims

“There is a lot of information that we need to unlock here and we’re not able to do it alone.” 

Police allege that Ratnayake was capable of perpetuate the offences by getting access to the sufferer’s contacts in Snapchat, in some cases by means of extortion.

“There was a degree of transactional behaviour involved,” Shima stated. “Our investigative theory is that Mr. Ratnayake was luring the children using things like vapes, marijuana and alcohol.”

Ratnayake used a number of Snapchat profiles, police stated. He could also be recognized to his victims beneath the consumer names islandsauce0129, monked.ruffy or by his pseudonym, Matt Wintoni or mattwintoni.

“Releasing his Snapchat handles, it’s one of the ways that we’re going to be able to identify our victims,” Shima stated. 

“A lot of the time our victims of luring or online sexual exploitation don’t know who is on the other end of those devices or who they’re actually communicating with.” 

Shima stated predators posing as younger folks usually use on-line profiles to make contact with their victims.

Snapchat is among the many hottest platforms amongst kids and has change into one of the prevalent locations the place little one exploitation happens on-line, he stated.

24CA News has sought remark from Snapchat and is awaiting a response.

“As I’ve said before, we need parents to be on board with their kids in their applications and start talking about what these apps are used for,” Shima stated. “Enhancing digital literacy is a really big part of this.”

Cybersecurity skilled David Shipley stated the case is a part of a rising epidemic of on-line sexual exploitation of kids.

Predators have “universal access” to kids in on-line social media platforms, permitting them unprecedented entry to potential victims, he stated.

“This is happening more and more and more and we have to confront this,” stated Shipley, CEO of New Brunswick-based Beauceron Security Inc.

Shipley stated legislation enforcement companies are struggling to maintain tempo with the dimensions of on-line exploitation. Protecting kids requires improved policing assets, higher know-how safeguards and improved instructional assets, he stated. 

“This is not going to be a problem we can solve with technology alone.” 

Parents have to have robust conversations with their children, and youthful kids shouldn’t be allowed unsupervised entry to the web, Shipley stated.

“It’s a scale issue,” he stated. “We will never be able to afford enough police to stay on top of this. 

“If we aren’t serving to our youngsters, we’re leaving them open to a rising military of predators around the globe.”

The Zebra Centre for Child Protection, the Morinville RCMP, Okay Division common investigation part and the Edmonton Police Service assisted within the investigation, which started in June of this 12 months.

Anyone with data on the case is requested to contact police or Crime Stoppers.