NWT police warn parents after child exploitation arrest

The arrest of a Grande Prairie man accused of child exploitation has prompted Northwest Territories police to suggest parents talk to their children about online safety.

Jonathan Karl Bruenig, who is 34, was arrested and charged earlier this month by a specialist Alberta police unit investigating the grooming of children online.

He is alleged to have used various online pseudonyms to approach children, often posing as a teenage girl while luring boys through social media. It’s not clear when the alleged offences took place.

Alberta police believe Bruenig may have targeted youth in the Northwest Territories. RCMP in the territory issued a statement on Wednesday suggesting that parents and guardians “consider having appropriate discussions with youth regarding the possibility of online child luring.”

Police allege Bruenig would befriend youth online, then move from sexualized chat to the sharing of explicit photos and videos, before attempting to arrange meetings with boys. He was arrested during what police believe was an attempt to lure and sexually assault a Grande Prairie boy.

No allegations have been proven in court. Bruenig, who was involved with a number of junior hockey teams, faces two charges of child luring, two charges of making child pornography, two charges of distributing child pornography, and two charges of possessing child pornography.

An investigation is ongoing. Bruenig will appear in court on February 12.