A 31-year-old Langford man, Jae Alexander Hegan, has been arrested and charged with multiple child exploitation offences following a proactive joint investigation by the BC RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit (BC ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and West Shore RCMP.The investigation began in September 2023 when BC ICE received information from HSI about a suspect in BC allegedly involved in child exploitation activities on a social media platform. BC ICE quickly launched an investigation, identifying Hegan as the suspect. He is accused of luring three female youth victims online, exploiting them, producing child sexual abuse material, and distributing it on the internet.In January 2024, a search warrant was executed at Hegan's Langford residence, leading to his arrest. In May 2024, the BC Prosecution Service approved seven charges against Hegan under the Criminal Code:One count of making or publishing child pornographyOne count of making child pornography availableOne count of possession of child pornographyOne count of accessing child pornographyOne count of making sexually explicit material available to a person under the age of 16Two counts of child luringHegan was released on several protective conditions, including restrictions on his internet access and contact with children under 16."Online child exploitation poses a grave threat to the well-being of our youth, and this case highlights the importance of cross-border cooperation in combating these crimes," stated Staff Sgt. Natalie Davis of BC ICE. "We recognize the dedication and collaboration of investigative units across Canada and the United States who work tirelessly together to identify, arrest, and charge online predators. Predators are online and accessing our youth at home, in the privacy of their bedrooms. It is important for adults to have conversations with the youths in their lives about how to stay safe online."
