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As the officers approached the man in the vehicle, they spotted a young girl sitting on a bench about 10 metres away, across the street from the traffic stop. The driver told police he was in town to meet with a woman he was speaking with online.
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Officers then went to speak with the girl, who told them the driver was coming to pick her up. She said they’d been communicating over an app and wasn’t aware the person she’d been speaking with was an adult, but she confirmed they had planned to meet up for a “sexual encounter.”
Francisco Xavier Aguilar Serrano, a 22-year-old American citizen who’s living in Airdrie, has been charged with child luring.
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He was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court in Didsbury on Aug. 28. As part of his release, he is mandated to have no contact with anyone under 16.
“The awareness of our officers yesterday morning led to their intervention of a serious incident and prevented further offences from occurring, ensuring the safety of the female youth,” said Staff Sgt. Stephen Browne, the detachment commander of the Didsbury RCMP. “This is a serious reminder for parents or guardians to monitor social media access of their children, and to have those serious conversations about being safe while utilizing social media.”
Didsbury is located 80 kilometres northeast of Calgary.
mrodriguez@postmedia.com
Twitter: @MichaelRdrguez
