An Alberta man who was already arrested earlier this year and charged with sharing child sexual abuse materials online has now been charged with allegedly using artificial intelligence to sexualize images of underage people he knows.
The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) believes there are numerous victims in the case out of Sherwood Park, a community located to the east of Edmonton.
ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit initially arrested a 51-year-old man on June 25, following reports he allegedly was sharing child sexual abuse materials online.
At that time, the suspect was charged with possessing, accessing, and transmitting child sexual abuse materials (formerly referred to as child pornography.)
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Following that arrest and a forensic analysis of computers and electronic devices seized from the home of the accused, ALERT said ICE investigators discovered an extensive collection of child sexual abuse materials manufactured using artificial intelligence.
The accused allegedly used AI applications to sexualize photos and videos of numerous victims that were known to him.
ALERT said the accused took advantage of open social media accounts and used posted photos as a source of material to alter.
The use of AI tools to sexualize images is a growing problem and has led to several charges laid in Alberta over the past year and a half.
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Last summer, a junior girl’s football coach in Lethbridge was accused by ALERT of using AI to create child pornography.
Then in December 2025, ALERT accused a teenager in the Calgary region of using AI technology to sexualize photos of teen girls who attended several high schools in the area.
A 17-year-old was charged with making, possessing and distributing child sexual abuse and exploitation materials along with criminal harassment.
Investigators at the time stressed the making of such content is not a joke or prank, but rather a “most extreme form of bullying and a criminal offence.”
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This past June, ALERT accused two 14-year-old boys in Edmonton of using artificial intelligence to make child sexual exploitation images of several classmates from a junior high school in the Alberta capital city.
Investigators said a teacher at the school brought the allegations to the attention of police in late March 2026, acting on complaints from the students.
ALERT said photos of several girls were taken without their consent. Those photos and others pulled from social media were then used to develop the exploitative images with AI tools. Investigators allege the boys shared the images with each other on their phones.
“There is a misconception that because it’s AI, it’s not real, that the impact is not significant,” Const. Stephanie Bosch with the ALERT Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit said at the time.
Investigators say exploitative images generated using AI is becoming more common.
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Sherwood Park resident Christopher Kalbfleisch, 51, was charged on Sept. 25 with one charge of making child sexual abuse materials that ALERT says cover numerous instances.
He has been released from custody on a number of court-imposed conditions, including not to have any communication with anyone under the age of 16, and not to attend public pools, schools, playgrounds, or public libraries.
Kalbfleisch is scheduled to appear in court in Sherwood Park on Oct. 16.
ICE’s investigation is ongoing and is attempting to identify victims. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact their local police department or reach our anonymously via Crime Stoppers (1-800-222-TIPS).
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