FBI tip leads to arrest of Calgary man for alleged sextortion of California teenager​on February 6, 2025 at 6:27 pm

A Calgary man has been charged with multiple child sexual exploitation offences following an FBI tip that led to his arrest earlier this year.

The 21-year-old man was taken into custody after a search warrant was executed at a Beltline residence on Jan. 7, Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) said in a news release.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations contacted ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit in May 2024 about allegations that a Calgary man had coerced a California teenager into providing sexually explicit images and videos and later threatened to share them online.

The FBI first became aware of the threats in December 2023, the release says.

Investigators seized multiple electronic devices during the search, including two iPhones, which are now undergoing forensic analysis, ALERT says.

Seung Chung, 21, of Calgary faces several charges, including: making child pornography, possession of child pornography, extortion and luring of children under the ages of 16 and 18.

“Sextortion is blackmail, and we know it can have a detrimental impact on a young person’s mental health and self-esteem, which is why we act quickly in these investigations,” said Staff Sgt. Mark Auger of ALERT’s ICE unit. “It’s crucial that children and teens understand that they are the victim and to get help before complying with any demands.”

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection reports that it receives an average of seven sextortion-related reports daily, totaling more than 2,600 cases annually.

Chung has been released on court-imposed conditions and is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 11.

Authorities urge anyone who suspects a child is a victim of sextortion to immediately stop all communication, take screenshots of the conversation and the profile, avoid complying with any demands and report the incident to law enforcement.

Anyone with information about this case or any online child exploitation case is encouraged to contact local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit crimestoppers.ab.ca.