Burnaby man faces 23 charges in cross-Canada sextortion case involving minors

Anwer Jelassi, 19, of Burnaby, B.C., has been charged with extortion, luring and child pornography offences after victims from three provinces came forward.

Burnaby resident charged with 23 offences after victims from three provinces report online sextortion

Anwer Jelassi, a 19-year-old resident of Burnaby, British Columbia, has been charged with 23 criminal offences — including extortion, luring, and the making, possession and distribution of child pornography — following a cross-country investigation led by the Burnaby RCMP, cbc.ca reports.

The charges stem from incidents that began in 2022, when victims between the ages of 15 and 18 from Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario reported being extorted online after sharing explicit images with someone they had met on social media. According to investigators, the suspect demanded money from the victims and threatened to distribute the images to their social networks if they refused to pay.

Burnaby RCMP's Child Abuse and Sexual Offences (CASO) unit began focusing on a Burnaby resident after local police forces in the affected provinces relayed the victims' accounts. In December 2022, Burnaby RCMP launched a cross-country probe that included the B.C. Integrated Child Exploitation Team (ICE). In January 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at a Burnaby home. Jelassi was formally charged on July 11 of this year, nearly two years after the investigation began.

"Their bravery in stepping forward and telling someone has allowed us to advance this investigation, which has now resulted in criminal charges," said Cpl. Max Gagné of the CASO unit in a statement issued Tuesday.

A publication ban is in place on the case to protect the identities of the victims. Police have not disclosed when Jelassi is next scheduled to appear in court.

Jelassi is subject to a series of court-ordered conditions. He is prohibited from contacting any of the victims or anyone under the age of 16, and is barred from accessing social networking and dating platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Bumble and Tinder. Burnaby RCMP are asking anyone with information that Jelassi is breaching these conditions to call 604-646-9999 and quote file 22-18157.

Sextortion incidents rising sharply across Canada

Gagné's unit noted that sextortion cases are increasing in cities like Burnaby and across the country, though they are believed to be widely underreported. "We want to remind victims that they are not alone and that we are here to help them and hold offenders to account," Gagné said. "If you have been victimized by this type of crime, please report it to police."

According to Statistics Canada, extortion incidents have risen five-fold since 2013, when seven incidents were reported per 100,000 people annually. In 2023, that figure reached 35 incidents per 100,000 population. Statistics Canada also notes that nearly half — 49 per cent — of all extortion incidents reported in 2023 were classified as cybercrimes.

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P) attributes part of the rise to the way social media platforms are designed, monitored and commercialized. "Our response to online safety cannot be to only act when a crime has been committed," said Lianna McDonald, executive director of C3P, in late July. "The goal has to be to detect and limit the now very well-understood and predictable dangers children face in digital spaces."

C3P is pressing federal lawmakers to move urgently on an Online Harms Bill, which would aim to reduce exposure to harmful content online — including the sexual victimization of children, the non-consensual sharing of intimate content, and material promoting hatred, violence or extremism.

B.C. legislation offers path for victims

In January of this year, British Columbia became the ninth province in Canada to enact an Intimate Images Protection Act (IIPA). The legislation provides a legal pathway for victims to have sexualized photos, videos or deepfakes removed from online platforms without delay, and allows for compensation for the harm caused.

Canadian victims of sextortion can report incidents to their local police or through Cybertip.ca. Those who have been sexually assaulted can access support through crisis lines and local services listed in the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. Anyone in immediate danger is urged to call 911.

Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)