Edmonton Journal and CTV News Edmonton have reported:

A 47-year-old Spruce Grove man was arrested in Calgary on Oct. 2 after allegedly trying to arrange sex with a youth. ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) investigators say the person he believed he was meeting was an investigator. The arrest was made with assistance from the Calgary Police Service.

Investigators began online conversations with Franklin Lopez in August 2026. They allege he engaged in sexually explicit exchanges and arranged to meet for sex, offering to bring a “day-after pill,” according to an ALERT news release. ALERT said no child was harmed in the incident.

“Once the suspect moved the conversation from social media to private messaging, it quickly became sexually explicit, even despite the suspect being alerted that he was chatting with a youth,” Staff Sgt. Gordon MacDonald said in the release. “Trying to steer users towards private messaging applications is a tactic often employed to evade built-in platform securities of mainstream social media services.”

Lopez is charged with making arrangements or an agreement to commit sexual offences against a child, making child sexual abuse and exploitation material, invitation to sexual touching, and luring a child. He was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 28.

ALERT said it is concerned the alleged incident may not be isolated and is exploring whether there are other victims. Lopez’s electronic devices have been seized, and forensic analysis is underway. The sources did not identify a specific location in Calgary for the arrest or planned meeting.

Anyone with information about the investigation, or any child exploitation offence, is encouraged to contact local police or report it to cybertip.ca. CTV News Edmonton’s account specifically asks people with information about the investigation to contact local police.