Surrey man convicted of Child Exploitation Offences following joint proactive investigation with US Law Enforcement

B.C., Integrated Child Exploitation Team

2024-04-03 13:39 PDT

File # 2018-11115

A BC man has been convicted of a child exploitation offence following a joint investigation by the BC RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit (BC ICE), Homeland Security Investigations, and the Boone Police Department.

In November 2018, the British Columbia Integrated Child Exploitation (BC ICE) Unit received information from the National Child Exploitation Crime Centre (NCECC) regarding a joint investigation by the Boone Police Department and U. S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). A Boone Police Department detective infiltrated a private group on a mobile messenger application dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children and the trafficking of child pornography. According to documents filed in the US case, the detective, pretending to be a 14-year-old girl, convinced an administrator to add him to the group. Once accepted, the detective was able to gain access to additional similar private groups. Over the next several months, The State Bureau of Investigations (SBI), HSI, and the Boone Police Department detective worked to identify additional members of the group and created new investigations nationally and internationally.

In total, 38 leads were sent to various law enforcement agencies, including the BC ICE Unit. BC ICE immediately launched an investigation and identified 34-year-old Joel Andy Daigle from Surrey, British Columbia from his involvement in the investigation. A search warrant was executed at Daigle’s residence in April 2019. Following a complex and lengthy examination of the evidence, Daigle was charged with child exploitation offences in April 2020.

To date, the administrator of the group plead guilty to one count of transportation of child pornography in North Carolina and received 65 months imprisonment. Globally, 23 offenders were arrested, including Daigle. On March 7, 2024, Daigle was convicted and sentenced an 18-month conditional sentence which is served in the community for the offences of making available child pornography and possession of child pornography. Daigle also received a 20-year order pertaining to the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and must abide by multiple conditions, including those governing his access to children under the age of 16.

This conviction is a result of a lengthy inter-agency investigation, in which a local suspect surfaced in a joint US law enforcement investigation that identified multiple online predators trading and possessing child sexual exploitation materials within a social chat application, Staff Sergeant Natalie Davis of BC ICE. Child sexual exploitation offences have steadily increased across the province and have a substantial impact on our communities, big and small. Our investigators work tirelessly alongside our national and international law enforcement partners to target those utilizing the internet to harm and exploit children, rescue child victims, and bring child exploitation offenders to justice.

Anyone with information about suspected child exploitation is asked to contact their local police.

REF: Middle District of North Carolina | U.S. Attorney Matt Martin Recognizes Law Enforcement for Operation that Lead to Multiple Child Exploitation Arrests and the Rescue of Children from Sexual Abuse | United States Department of Justice

Released by

Sgt. Vanessa Munn

Email: vanessa.munn@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

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