Parents are asked to be cautious of their children's online activities after a Lethbridge teen was charged in connection to "extremist" online posts. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Caution urged for parents after Lethbridge teen charged in “extremist” online posts

Feb 27, 2024 | 9:30 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Parents and caregivers are asked to be vigilant about their children’s online activities after a Lethbridge youth allegedly made a series of graphic violent and sexual online posts.

The Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) and the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) say they received information about a local person participating in group chats associated to “violent extremists.”

The people in these groups reportedly target and groom youths into participating in acts of self-harm, violence, and the distribution of child sexual exploitation material.

According to the LPS, the Lethbridge user has been identified as a 14-year-old boy. Due to provisions under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, his name cannot be released.

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The child is alleged to have made several online posts depicting acts of violence, weapons, self-harm, and child sexual exploitation material.

He is charged with making child pornography, distributing child pornography, possession of child pornography, non-consensual distribution of intimate images, and making/possession of explosives (related to a video post involving a Molotov cocktail).

Law enforcement agencies in Canada and the United States have issued warnings about violent online groups who target youths.

The LPS said they often use threats, manipulation and blackmail to control victims.

“A warning by the FBI advises the groups use many names including 676, 764, CVLT, Court, Kaskar, Harm Nation, Leak Society and H3ll, but they continue to evolve and form subgroups using different names. They primarily target young people between the ages of eight and 17-years-old,” reads a media release from the LPS.

Parents and caregivers are urged to talk to their kids about healthy online relationships, monitor their online activities, understand the apps and technology young people are using, and to be mindful of potential red flags.

“Further, and perhaps most importantly, cultivate a relationship of trust and be a resource if/when a child encounters issues online,” said the LPS.

Some red flags to look out for, according to the police, include:

• Sudden behaviour changes such as becoming withdrawn, moody, or irritable.
• Sudden changes in appearance, especially neglect of appearance.
• Changes in eating or sleeping habits.
• Dropping out of activities and becoming more isolated and withdrawn.
• Scars, often in patterns.
• Fresh cuts, scratches, bruises, bite marks, burns, or other wounds.
• Carvings, such as words or symbols, on the skin.
• Wearing long sleeves or pants in hot weather.
• Threatening to commit suicide and openly talking about death, not being wanted or needed or not being around.

Some tips for sharing content or engaging with others online include:

• Monitor children’s online activity and discuss risks associated with sharing personal content.
• Use discretion when posting images, videos, and personal content online, particularly those that include children or their information. Images, videos, or personal information posted online can be captured, manipulated, and distributed by malicious actors without your knowledge or consent. Once content is shared on the internet, it can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove once it is circulated or posted by other parties.
• Run frequent online searches of you and your children’s information (e.g., full name, address, phone number, etc.) to help identify the exposure and spread of personal information on the internet.
• Apply privacy settings on social media accounts—including setting profiles and your friends’ lists as private—to limit the public exposure of your photos, videos, and other personal information.
• Consider using reverse image search engines to locate any photos or videos that have circulated on the internet without your knowledge.
• Exercise caution when accepting friend requests, communicating, engaging in video conversations, or sending images to individuals, you do not know personally. Be especially wary of individuals who immediately ask or pressure you to provide them photos or videos. Those items could be screen-captured, recorded, manipulated, shared without your knowledge or consent, and used to exploit you or someone you know.
• Do not provide any unknown or unfamiliar individuals with money or other items of value. Complying with malicious actors does not guarantee your sensitive photos or content will not be shared.
• Use discretion when interacting with known individuals online who appear to be acting outside their normal pattern of behavior. Malicious actors can easily manipulate hacked social media accounts.
• Secure social media and other online accounts using complex passwords or passphrases and multi-factor authentication.
• Research the privacy, data sharing, and data retention policies of social media platforms, apps, and websites before uploading and sharing images, videos, or other personal content.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now

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