A 19-year-old Alberta man is facing multiple child sexual exploitation charges after allegedly using the popular online gaming platform Roblox to target an underage girl in British Columbia.Kenneth Livesey, of Beaverlodge, was arrested October 29 following a joint investigation involving Internet Child Exploitation units in Alberta and BC.He faces charges of child luring, making sexually explicit material available to a child, making child sexual abuse and exploitation material, and possessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material.Investigators allege Livesey initially contacted the girl through Roblox before moving their conversations to the messaging platform Snap.Police say the exchanges became sexual in nature, with the victim allegedly coerced into sending explicit photographs and videos.“Diverting the conversation to other platforms is a common tactic by offenders to evade detection and in some case bypass existing safety protocols,” said ALERT Acting Sgt. Matt Pepper.The investigation began after the girl's parents discovered the messages and reported the alleged offences to Kelowna RCMP.Investigators in BC identified a suspect and worked with their Alberta counterparts to gather evidence and make an arrest.Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Steven Lang said cooperation between police agencies was critical to the investigation.“Criminal activity does not recognize jurisdictional boundaries, and neither does effective policing,” said Lang.“The swift actions of investigators in Kelowna led to the identification of the suspect, and through close collaboration with our Alberta partners, critical information was shared to support the ongoing investigation.”.Lang said the case demonstrates the importance of police cooperation in protecting children from online predators.“This outcome reflects our collective commitment to public safety and holding offenders accountable,” he said.Livesey was released from custody following his arrest.He is scheduled to appear in court November 18 in Grande Prairie.The allegations against him have not been proven in court.Police are encouraging anyone with information about the investigation or other suspected child exploitation offences to contact their local police department or report concerns through Cybertip.ca, Canada's national tip line for reporting online child sexual exploitation.
