By Peggy Revell on March 17, 2018.
Medicine Hat News Oyen RCMP have charged a local man with child pornography offences following a joint investigation with Medicine Hat ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit. Police report that on Feb. 28, they were contacted by a parent of a young woman who had located concerning messages between her daughter and an adult male on her daughter’s cellphone. Oyen RCMP began an investigation with the assistance of the Medicine Hat ICE unit. On March 5, members of the ICE unit and Oyen RCMP arrested Austin Palmer, 18, and executed a search warrant at his Oyen residence. A number of electronic devices were seized, while child pornography images were found during a forensic preview. ICE technicians will conduct a complete forensic examination of the devices. Palmer has been charged with two counts of luring a child, possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, distributing child pornography and failing to comply with a probation order. Palmer remains in custody, having applied to legal aid to retain counsel. His next court appearance is on March 20. 8