New Westminster police seize multiple weapons during sexual exploitation investigation

New Westminster police say an investigation into the alleged sexual exploitation of a youth led officers to seize multiple firearms and prohibited devices from a local residence.

According to the New Westminster Police Department, the investigation began March 21 after a member of the public reported seeing an adult man behaving in what they believed was an inappropriate manner with a female youth in a public place. The witness provided police with a vehicle licence plate after the pair left the area.

Officers later located the man and determined he had court-imposed conditions prohibiting him from being around anyone under the age of 16. Police said the youth involved in the investigation was not under that age threshold, meaning the man was not initially found to be breaching those conditions.

The department’s Street Crime Unit later took over the investigation and arrested the man for alleged sexual exploitation following what police described as a detailed investigation. Investigators said officers found a bear scare fire pistol in a cross-body bag the suspect was carrying at the time of his arrest.

Police subsequently obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s home, where officers seized what they described as an SKS rifle, a pistol-gripped compact shotgun, a .22-calibre semi-automatic rifle, ammunition, replica firearms, holsters, 3D-printed firearm parts and other prohibited devices.

“The presence of weapons in relation to a sexual exploitation investigation is extremely concerning,” Sgt. Andrew Leaver said in a statement released by police.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing. No additional charges had been announced as of publication time.

The case highlights concerns around the intersection of alleged sexual offences and illegal weapons possession in Metro Vancouver investigations. It also underscores the role of public reporting in initiating police investigations.