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Reports of online child exploitation reached a record high in Alberta last month and are expected to continue climbing in April, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team said Tuesday.

ALERT attributes the boost to more people spending time online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The internet child exploitation (ICE) unit received 243 reports of exploitation in March, more than double the two-year monthly average of around 110 per month.

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“With children being home from school, not only are they spending more time online, but it appears that so are the predators. And they are looking to take advantage of our most vulnerable population: our kids,” Supt. Dwayne Lakusta, ALERT CEO, said in a Tuesday news release.

“As a parent myself, I have recently noticed some concerning online behaviour and have had to be even more diligent in monitoring what apps my child is using and who they are engaging with. All parents need to be vigilant of their kids’ online activities.”