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WEST HANTS:<\/strong> An eight-year-old boy from West Hants is being praised for helping lead police to the arrest of a California man for making online threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RCMP say that in May 2023, West Hants RCMP received two calls from an eight-year-old who bravely told the call taker that someone was threatening to hurt them and their family unless they sent intimate images through a social platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Const. Walsh, as the responding officer, attended the child\u2019s home for more information and to collect any evidence from the device being used to access the social platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The information and evidence collected clearly indicated someone was attempting to exploit and extort the child and had sent the victim intimate images,” Const. Mitch Thompson with N.S. RCMP said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ADVERTISEMENT:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n [adrotate banner=”148″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [adrotate group=”7″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through the course of the investigation, the West Hants RCMP General Investigation Section confirmed the suspect\u2019s IP address and its originating location of California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Investigators, with assistance of the Nova Scotia RCMP Internet Child Exploitation Unit, then sought the support of the United States Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) based at the US Embassy in Ottawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The collaborative efforts that started with the victim, their parent and Cst. Walsh led to HSI identifying the suspect and obtaining a warrant for his arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ADVERTISEMENT:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n [adrotate banner=”169″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [adrotate banner=”206″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n In May 2024, HSI Sacramento arrested a 38-year-old man in California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The man admitted to victimizing more than 20 children, including the child who courageously reported the incident to West Hants RCMP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n