Ontario man charged after allegedly planning trip to U.S. for sex acts with kids
Durham police say they arrested a man Thursday after learning that he allegedly planned to travel to the United States in order to engage in sex acts with a woman and her young children.
In a news release, police said that their Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit received information from the RCMP National Child Exploitation Crime Centre on Wednesday morning about a male who might live in Bowmanville, Ont.
“A conversation was intercepted on the MeetMe chat app, between the suspect, using profile name ‘That Guy’, and a female who resides in Pennsylvania, USA,” police said Thursday. “The suspect and the female spoke about meeting this weekend and engaging in sexual acts on the female’s children, aged two and six.”
Police said sexual photographs of the woman's daughter were also sent to the suspect.
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Due to the urgency of the situation, police said, “immediate steps” were taken to identify and locate the suspect, who was arrested at around 6:30 a.m. Thursday at a home in the area of Aspen Springs Drive and Bowmanville Avenue.
He was arrested without incident.
Police said 42-year-old Craig Thompson has been charged with agreeing to commit sexual assault against a child under 16, making child pornography, accessing child pornography, and possessing child pornography.
He was being held pending a bail hearing.
The charges have not been proven in court.
“The DRPS ICE Unit along with the RCMP are currently coordinating with our U.S. law partners to investigate and take the appropriate action against the female party involved in this incident,” Durham police said.
Police have not identified the woman.
Investigators are asking anyone with further information to contact police or call Crime Stoppers anonymously.
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