A Barrie man has been arrested and charged after he allegedly lured and exploited a 16-year-old girl via Instagram.
On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, Barrie police say detectives from the Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit executed a search warrant at a local address after receiving a report from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) concerning the teen.
"Emergency orders with the internet service providers confirmed the identity and age of the victim, as well as the identity, age and location of the accused," police stated in a news release.
A 43-year-old man has been arrested and charged with several criminal offences, although police would not specify what those charges are.
He was held for a bail hearing.
Police say several computer devices belonging to the accused were seized for further forensic analysis.
Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, police say no further details are being released.