Charges have been stayed against a Sylvan Lake doctor who had been accused of trying to arrange sex with a five-year-old girl.
On Nov. 12, Crown prosecutors stayed charges against Dr. Fred Janke, 64, of making arrangements to commit sexual offences against a child, making child pornography and distribution of child pornography.
Prosecutors can reactivate charges within a year, but that rarely happens.
A week-long trial had been scheduled to begin on Monday for the physician, who had practised in Sylvan Lake for three decades.
Janke was arrested in Edmonton in June 2018 following an investigation by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team.
Janke was accused of engaging in sexually explicit conversations with a person he met online starting in October 2017, up until shortly before his arrest, authorities alleged at the time.
These conversations progressed, and allegedly led to Janke attempting to arrange for sex with the person’s five-year-old daughter.
However, the daughter didn’t exist and Janke was speaking with a Victoria Police Department undercover officer.
Victoria police had been conducting an online investigation involving a website known to host chat rooms geared towards child sex.
Once Victoria police determined the suspect was based in Alberta, the information was relayed to authorities in the province.
pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com
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