Kamloops Mounties aid FBI in child luring probe, report increase in exploitation files

Photo: File photo

An RCMP cruiser door.

Mounties say they worked with the FBI to thwart an American man's attempt to abduct a 13-year-old Kamloops child.

In a report that went to Kamloops city council last week, police said they “successfully prevented an American citizen from fulfilling plans of attending Kamloops to abduct a 13 year old."

The investigation took place between January and March.

According to the report, Kamloops Mounties provided crucial evidence to the FBI in the U.S. connected to the child luring case.

“The Kamloops RCMP detachment took steps to protect the victim, engaged the FBI to investigate the offences committed in their jurisdiction and remained in communication,” RCMP Cpl. Dana Napier told Castanet.

Working with Americans

This was not the first time Kamloops police have worked with the FBI in connection to alleged sex crimes involving youth.

In August of 2023, the Kamloops RCMP detachment's sex crimes unit worked with the FBI when a local resident was arrested in to the U.S. after having travelled to New York to allegedly engage in sexual activity with a 10-year-old.

The man was charged with attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, with sentencing set for later this summer.

Earlier in 2023, the detachment's sex crimes unit led the arrest of a suspect and young victim connected to a child exploitation file that had been initiated by the FBI.

The suspect and victim were both Kamloops residents, and the suspect subsequently pleaded guilty to a number of related offences.

More exploitation?

Kamloops Mounties are reporting a noticeable increase in the number of reported child exploitation files over the first quarter of 2025.

“I’m not saying that we have one or two offenders that are doing a series of offences that is serial or predatory at this time,” Kamloops RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley told Castanet Kamloops.

"There's a number of separate investigations. We are a community of over 100,000 population."

The Kamloops RCMP detachment has received an average of 15 BC ICE reports per quarter over the past two years, but that number nearly doubled to 29 in the first three months of 2025.