Alberta man charged after allegedly luring Kelowna girl through Roblox
Police say online gaming platform was used to establish contact before conversations moved to Snapchat (Image Credit: Vernon Matters Staff)
A 19-year-old Alberta man is facing four charges after allegedly sexually exploiting a Kelowna girl he met through the online gaming platform Roblox.
Kenneth Livesey, of Beaverlodge, Alta., was arrested Oct. 29 following an investigation by police in British Columbia and Alberta, Kelowna RCMP said Thursday. Investigators allege Livesey initially connected with the girl through Roblox before the two began communicating through Snapchat.
Police say the conversations became sexual in nature, and the girl was coerced into sharing explicit photographs and videos.
The girl’s parents discovered the messages and reported the matter to Kelowna RCMP, prompting an investigation.
Livesey faces charges of child luring, making sexually explicit material available to a child, making child sexual abuse and exploitation material, and possessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material.
Acting Sgt. Matt Pepper of ALERT said moving conversations from gaming platforms to other messaging services is a common tactic used by offenders to avoid detection and, in some cases, bypass safety measures.
“Diverting the conversation to other platforms is a common tactic by offenders to evade detection and in some case bypass existing safety protocols,” Pepper said.
Kelowna RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Steven Lang said cooperation between investigators in the two provinces helped identify the suspect and advance the investigation.
Livesey was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court in Grande Prairie on Nov. 18.