Two Calgary men alleged to have had sex with underaged girls after meeting them on the internet have been charged in two unrelated cases.

In the first case, Calgary police with help from a special child exploitation unit of officers from different forces, arrested and charged a 24-year-old man with several sex offences.

Investigators allege that he had sex with a 13-year-old girl after meeting her on an online chat site, using the handle "Noway."

Internet safety tips for parents

  • Move family computer to a common area of the house where you can monitor its use.
  • Speak with your children to determine what internet sites they are visiting, what personal information they are posting on those sites and who they are chatting with.

Tips for youth

  • Never upload or email photos of yourself, where they will be seen by strangers.
  • Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone you meet online.
  • Do not give out identifying information such as your name, home address, school name or phone number.
  • Never respond to messages or bulletin board postings that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, or harassing.
  • Remember that things you're told online may or may not be true.

Source: Calgary Police Service

Max David Miller has been charged with sexual assault, sexual interference with a child under the age of 16, invitation to sexual touching with a child under the age of 16 and luring a child via computer.

He has been released with conditions, including no contact with youth under 16, said Staff Sgt. Leah Barber on Thursday.

In the second case, police arrested a 27-year-old man on Tuesday, alleging that he had sex with a 14-year-old girl who he met online under the internet identity of "9272" or "Keven."

Kevin Andre Thomas has been charged with sexual assault, sexual interference with a child under the age of 16, luring a child via a computer, and invitation to sexual touching with a child under the age of 16.

Thomas had been in contact with the girl in a relationship that spanned several months, said Barber.

In both cases, the victims' parents were monitoring their computers and notified police.

The two arrests within 10 days of each other were coincidental, Barber added. Investigators do not believe there are other alleged victims of the suspects.

Online predators will pretend to be different people to win over victims, convincing them to disclose personal information such as their school and home address, said Barber.

"They all have two or three personas on the same internet chat site," she explained. "So they might become a young girl on one of them, convincing the victim that this guy is a good guy and then the same person will be a 14-year-old boy, but in reality, they might be in their 20s or 30s."

Added Staff Sgt. Steve Lorne, "They get to know these children. And through that, they get to know the music they like, their home life, and almost like become a best friend to them. Virtually, it's a grooming technique that these predators will use."

Warning signs that a child may fall victim to someone over the internet may include:

  • Spending long hours in the computer room.
  • Being secretive about internet activities.
  • Unexplained photos on the computer.
  • Closing windows on the computer when anyone enters the room.
  • An unwillingness to say who they are chatting with online.
With files from Zulekha Nathoo