Update: In May 2017, The Canadian Press confirmed all charges in relation to the above incident were withdrawn against James VanderBerg in November 2015.

TORONTO -- A former charity worker faces child pornography charges after police allege several online aliases -- some of them under female names -- were used by a man posing as a teenager in order to lure underage girls.

Toronto police say a suspect was arrested last Wednesday after members of the sex crimes child exploitation section executed a warrant in the city's west end.

It's alleged the victims were contacted via social media but police did not give details about which sites were involved.

Several different email addresses and names were used, police said.

The suspect "used these email addresses to pose as a little girl and reach out to other teenage girls," said Det. Const. Scott McQuoid.

Police are warning parents to monitor their children's social media use, and remind them that any friends their children make online "may not be who they represent themselves to be."

"Any social media can be used to lure a child," said McQuoid.

Police say their investigation began six months ago with a tip from the RCMP about a complaint from the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on the alleged activities of the accused.

Police say there may be other alleged victims and are asking anyone with information to come forward.

They say the names used online included Abigail Davies, Danica Pines, Maria Moon, Natasha Z, Jim Victorry and Ashton Gomes.

The suspect was charged with five counts of making child pornography, as well as one count each of possession of child pornography, accessing and making available child pornography and luring a child under 16.

World Vision Canada says in a statement that the suspect worked as a manager of talent relations for the international relief charity from 2006 to 2012.

"In light of the charges against the suspect and as mandated by our child protection policies, World Vision Canada will be conducting an internal investigation," it said Monday.

World Vision said the protection of children is "critical" to the group and that it has "extensive" child-protection policies in place.

"All staff are required to have a criminal record check and a vulnerable sector search prior to joining the organization, as well as periodic searches thereafter. We also conduct additional and thorough reference checks."

Police say there may be other victims and are asking anyone with information to come forward.

They say the names and email addresses used online included: 

  • Abigail Davies (abbydavies429@gmail.com)
  • Danica Pines (danicapines@gmail.com)
  • Maria Moon (zippym97@gmail.com)
  • Natasha Z (natashamoo97@gmail.com)
  • Jim Victorry (jvictorry@gmail.com)
  • Ashton Gomes (ashtongomes98@gmail.com)