UPDATED: June 29 3:18 p.m.
UPDATED: June 29 1:12 p.m.
A doctor who has practiced in Sylvan Lake for 30 years is accused of allegedly trying to have sex with a five-year-old child.
Edmonton police arrested Dr. Fred Janke, 62, on June 28. He was charged with child exploitation offences after a joint investigation involving ALERT’S Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit and the Victoria Police Department.
Janke is facing charges of making arrangements to commit sexual offences against a child as well as making and distributing child pornography. Since the charges are strictly related to online offences, ICE encourages anyone with information about this case to come forward and contact police or cybertip.ca
Police allege Janke was engaged in sexually explicit conversations since October 2017 with a person he met online. The sexual conversations progressed to Janke attempting to arrange to have sex with the person’s five-year-old daughter. The daughter didn’t exist and instead Janke was in fact talking with a Victoria Police Department undercover officer.
According to Mike Tucker, communications director of ALERT, the Victoria Police Department’s ICE unit was conducting proactive, online investigation involving a website known to host online chat rooms geared towards child sex.
“Once the Victoria Police Department ICE investigators determined the suspect was based in Alberta the information was referred to ALERT’s Ice Unit,” said Tucker.
The Alberta College of Family Physicians issued a statement Friday afternoon saying they were “shocked and saddened” by the news announced today about Dr. Janke.
“Due to the gravity of this matter we will not be available for further comment,” said Terri Potter, executive director of Alberta College of Family Physicians.
Dr. Janke was president of the Alberta College of Family Physicians but was removed Friday. President Elect Dr. Vishal Bhellahas takes the role effectively immediately.
Dr. Janke will be asked to to withdraw from practicing medicine and if he refuses the College of Physicians and Surgeons will suspend his license.
He is listed as a physician on the Sylvan Family Health Centre. Their website states that he has contributed to the family in numerous ways including the Sylvan Lake Extended Care Society. He organized fundraisers to help make a nursing home become a reality in 2003. He also led many mission projects in Jamaica that helped provide free medical care to people in Jamaica and Belize.
The allegations haven’t been proven in a court of law.