TRAIL, B.C. — A young man in Trail, B.C. will appear in court early this month on charges in connection with an online predator investigation.
RCMP allege the teen used physical threats to persuade young boys about the age of 13 to add him as a friend on Facebook.
They say the suspect would then make sexual remarks and in some cases ask the victims to remove their clothes while using a web camera.
The teen faces charges including uttering threats, invitation to sexual touching, luring and extortion.
Cpl. Dave Johnson says the investigation involves a large number of potential victims who are still being tracked down, meaning further charges may yet be laid.
The teen was arrested on Nov. 18, when a search warrant was used to obtain his computer equipment.
He has since been released with strict conditions.
The suspect’s identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
“Police are reminding parents and youth in our community to exercise caution when engaging in any interaction on social media websites,” Johnson said.