Alberta Mother Arrested For Child Porn After Sexually Abusing 4-Year-Old Son And Sending Pictures To Idaho Man
A Red Deer, Alberta, mother was arrested recently on child pornography charges, after Idaho police officers contacted Alberta police to report they had reason to believe a young Alberta child was being sexually abused by his own mother.
The 43-year-old mother, who worked at a local day care, was arrested at work this week. Her 4-year-old son was removed from her care after the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) were contacted by Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC) concerning the young boy. An investigation into the mother was launched in late May. During the investigation, it was found that the mother had been sexually abusing her young son, photographing the abuse, and sending the pictures through email to a 40-year-old Idaho man, Peter Allen Cash. Officials from Alberta and Idaho have arrested both the mother and Cash in connection with the investigation.
Red deer child rescued from child abuse situation. 43 year old mother charged. @GlobalEdmonton pic.twitter.com/J8MMt59zmU
— vinesh pratap (@vineshpratap) June 2, 2016
Inspector Dave Dubnyk, head of ALERT, said a mother abusing her own biological son was a “heinous crime.”
“This is a heinous crime that was committed on a young child by the one person they should be able to trust the most.”
On May 18, ICAC investigators searched Cash’s home, and it was while combing through his computer that they discovered pictures of the young Alberta boy and his mother. After learning that Cash was planning on leaving Idaho to move to Canada, Idaho police officers expedited their investigation and arrested Cash on possession of child pornography.
Cash is currently being charged with nine counts of exploitation of a child.
According to a release from Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, Cash was also arrested in Missouri and had possession of child pornography charges pending there as well. ICAC investigators initially received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which led them to Cash, and then to the Alberta mother, according to Global News, quoting a post on the Idaho Government’s website.
“The investigation began after investigators received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Officials expedited their investigation and arrest after learning that Cash intended to leave the United States this week and move to Canada.”
Though Cash had plans to move to Canada, investigators do not believe that he and the mother were in a relationship, nor have they commented how or why a mother from Alberta had come to be in contact with a man from Idaho.
An inspector w/ police says red deer resident was arrested yesterday. Allege mother abused child. @GlobalEdmonton pic.twitter.com/qzE7wijvGQ
— vinesh pratap (@vineshpratap) June 2, 2016
The mother, who was arrested on Wednesday, has already been released from custody under “strict conditions to ensure she has no contact with her child,” says Dubnyk.
“Our concern of course is for the health and well-being of this young child. [He is receiving] all necessary support.”
The mother — who authorities have opted not to name in order to protect the identity of her young son — is being charged with sexual assault, sexual exploitation, making child pornography, distributing child pornography, possessing child pornography and accessing child pornography, reports CBC. She will return to court on July 16.
The mother was arrested at a licensed day care facility in Alberta, where she worked. The name of the facility is being withheld, but the daycare operator is cooperating fully with police. Parents whose children attend the facility have been contacted. Police don’t believe, however, that any of the children who attended the daycare and were in the care of the mother had been abused. The mother is believed to have no other children.
[Image via Canyon County Jail]
