Red Deer, Alta. - RCMP in Red Deer are asking the community to be alert and speak to your children about conversations they may have had with a male in his seventies who may have been attempting to lure kids into his residence with candy.
On Aug. 10, 2024, Red Deer RCMP received a report that an older male had offered candy to a number of child victims, invited them into his apartment, and then sexually assaulted them. This type of interaction reportedly occurred on several different occasions with different children.
RCMP have charged 71-year-old Red Deer resident Terry Haskell with:
- Sexual interference with a minor under the age of 16;
- Sexual assault of a child under the age of 16;
- Invitation to sexual touching;
- Indecent acts;
- Breach of probation (x2).
Haskell was taken before a Justice of the Peace and remanded into custody with his next court date set for Dec 14, 2024, at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer.
“Given the nature of the allegations, we believe there are other victims who may be afraid to talk about it. As the accused is currently in custody, we want to give others the opportunity to come forward and assure them they are safe to talk to us, that we will follow up on the information they provide, and we will connect them with the resources they need to get through this” says Sergeant Gary Kroeker of Red Deer RCMP Serious Crimes General Investigation Section.
The individual is currently in custody, and poses no threat to public safety at this time. If you hear discussions between children about a male in his 70s with the moniker “candyman”, who says he is in his 30s, offering them candy, and asking for children’s phone numbers, or believe your child may have been involved in an incident related to Haskell, please contact the Red Deer RCMP immediately at 403-406-2200.
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