RCMP release:
The Nova Scotia RCMP’s provincial Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit has arrested a man for child pornography offences.
Yesterday, ICE, with assistance from Enfield RCMP and RCMP Digital Forensic Services, searched a home in Truro Heights after being notified by United States law enforcement officials and a social media platform that the Nova Scotia man was communicating with children online for a sexual purpose.
Following the search and subsequent investigation, Laurie Whidden, 49, was charged with:
- Possession of Child Pornography
- Transmitting Child Pornography
- Luring a Child
- Making Sexually Explicit Material Available to a Child
- Agreement to Commit an Offence Against a Child
- Failure to Comply with Prohibition Order
This is the second time Whidden has been charged for such offences.
Whidden appeared in Truro Provincial Court yesterday. He remains in custody and will return in court on January 10, 2024.
In Nova Scotia, it’s mandatory for citizens to report suspected child pornography. Anyone who encounters child pornography material or recordings must report it to police. Failing to report suspicious activity could result in penalties similar to failure to report child abuse set out in the Child and Family Services Act. The RCMP encourages citizens to be a voice for children who are victims of sexual exploitation by reporting any suspected offences to their local police or by using Canada’s National tip site for reporting online sexual exploitation of children: www.cybertip.ca.
