A New Westminster man has been convicted of child luring and possessing child pornography.
According to the New Westminster Police Department, the NWPD’s major crime unit launched an investigation into child luring in 2019. During the course of this investigation, it was learned that a New Westminster resident had targeted children online for sexual exploitation.
New Westminster police arrested a suspect in July 2020. Daniel Blain, 44, has since been convicted of one count of luring a child and one count of possessing child pornography.
“This investigation spanned international borders, and the New Westminster Police Department extends its appreciation to all police agencies who provided assistance, namely the British Columbia Integrated Child Exploitation Unit and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,” said a NWPD press release.
The New Westminster Police Department encourages parents to talk to their children about online safety.
“These charges coincide with a recommendation that we typically make around the start of the school year, and that is to double-check your social media privacy settings and speak with kids about how to stay safe online,” said NWPD spokesperson Sgt. Sanjay Kumar in a news release. “Strangers can find out a lot about where you work, where you live, and information about your kids from a public-facing social media account.”
According to the New Westminster Police Department, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection website has helpful resources for parents and guardians. In addition to age-appropriate resources about staying safe online, the website offers information about the removal of online child sexual abuse material.
