Durham Regional Police say a 22-year-old man posed as a teen and arranged to meet a 13-year-old girl he befriended on Snapchat.
The girl was led to believe the suspect was a 16-year-old boy, and planned to meet him, but suspicious staff at her Ajax school got wind of the planned meet-up and contacted police.
Members of the West Division School Liaison Office (SLO) responded to the staff concerns and attended the school in the Harkins Drive and Delaney Drive area on Friday, November 8, 2024.
Police searched the area but didn’t locate the suspect. Upon further investigation, police identified the suspect and attended his residence in Scarborough.
He was taken into custody and search warrants of his electronic devices were obtained.
“The victim initially was contacted by the suspect through the app Snapchat, with the username: ‘txjan02’,” police revealed in a release.
Talha Shaikh, 22, of Scarborough is facing charges of luring to facilitate the offence of making child pornography, luring to facilitate the offence of sexual assault, luring to facilitate the offence of sexual interference, as well as access and possession of child pornography.
He was held for a bail hearing.
