After an immediate and brief investigation by the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit, RCMP say a Loon Lake area man has been charged with numerous child luring offences and a child has been saved from potential harm.
On Jan. 16, a concerned grandparent made a complaint to the Saskatoon Police Service that their 10-year-old grandson was being sexually lured through a popular social media application. The investigation identified a suspect and a location in Saskatoon where he was temporarily residing. On Jan. 22, members of the Saskatchewan ICE Unit and Saskatoon Police Service executed a search warrant at this Saskatoon location where they arrested the man and seized his mobile device for further forensic analysis, and to identify other child victims.
According to an RCMP press release, 26-year-old Steven Joseph Lasas – whose last known fixed address was in the Loon Lake area – has been charged with the following offences: possession of child pornography; making child pornography; luring a child to facilitate an offence; luring a child to facilitate an offence ; and obtaining for consideration the sexual services of a person under 18 .
Lasas was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in Saskatoon provincial court Jan. 23.
The Saskatchewan ICE Unit is comprised of investigators from the RCMP, Regina Police Service, Saskatoon Police Service, and Prince Albert Police Service. Their mandate is to investigate crimes involving the abuse and/or exploitation of children on the Internet.
