A Langley man has been convicted of child exploitation offences in the United Kingdom.
Glenn Schulz, 38, pleaded guilty to two charges of arranging a child sex offence and one charge of distributing indecent images and was sentenced on Aug. 15, to eight years, eight months in prison in the UK.
Last May, an undercover officer in the United Kingdom, began an investigation, posing as a single father of two young girls. Schulz approached the undercover officer, having located his contact information on a site known for the sharing of child exploitation material.
During the course of the online communications, Schulz indicated he would travel to the UK from Vancouver to meet the undercover officer and, upon arrival, would sexually abuse the officer’s fictitious children.
Schulz also sent numerous child pornography images to the undercover officer through email.
The UK police were directed to the BC Integrated Child Exploitation team (ICE) unit through the National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre (NCECC) in Ottawa, once it was determined that Schulz was in British Columbia.
Through the combined investigational efforts of agencies in the UK and Canada, Schulz was arrested upon his arrival at Gatwick Airport, near London.
“This investigation is an excellent example of the ongoing proactive online enforcement efforts that the BC RCMP is currently focusing on,” said Insp. Tyler Svendson, officer in charge of the BC RCMP’s behavioural sciences group.
“The BC ICE unit’s Online Covert Investigations team of dedicated full time investigators actively seeks out child predators throughout various online social media outlets and websites known to be used for child exploitation activity,” said Svendson.
“As suspect individuals are identified through the employment of these proactive assets, they are subsequently arrested and charged to the fullest extent of the law.”
The BC RCMP strongly advises individuals to contact their local police service or www.cybertip.ca, to report suspected online child exploitation, to ensure that they do not place themselves or others in a potentially dangerous situation.