FBI tip leads to arrest of Calgary man for sextortion of US teen

A Calgary man has been charged with multiple child sexual exploitation offences after an FBI tip led to his arrest for allegedly extorting a California teen for explicit images.

Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams’ (ALERT) Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit launched an investigation in May 2024 after being contacted by the FBI.

The U.S. agency had discovered that a Calgary resident had allegedly coerced the victim into sending sexually explicit images and videos and then threatened to share them online.

The threats were first detected in December 2023.

Following an extensive investigation, ICE, with assistance from the Calgary Police Service, executed a search warrant on January 7, at a residence in the Beltline neighbourhood.

Officers arrested 21-year-old Seung Chung and seized multiple electronic devices, including two iPhones, which are undergoing forensic analysis.

Chung has been charged with several offences, including making child pornography, possession of child pornography, making explicit material available to minors, luring a child under 18, luring a child under 16, and extortion.

“Sextortion is blackmail and we know it can have a detrimental impact on a young person’s mental health and self-esteem, which is why we act quickly in these investigations,” said Staff Sgt. Mark Auger of ALERT’s ICE unit.

“It’s crucial that children and teens understand that they are the victim, and to get help before complying with any demands.”

According to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, an average of seven sextortion incidents are reported daily, amounting to more than 2,600 cases annually.

Chung has been released under court-imposed conditions and is scheduled to appear in court on February 11.

Authorities urge anyone who suspects a child is being targeted for sextortion to stop all communication, take screenshots of the conversation and profile, avoid complying with demands, report the threat to the social media platform, and keep records of all correspondence.

Anyone with information related to this case or any online child exploitation incident is encouraged to contact local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477.