Police search for unknown child victim of sexual assault, likely in Edmonton

The Internet Child Exploitation Unit of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) joint task force has released a photo of a young child's T-shirt, left, in hopes of being able to identify her in a child sexual assault case. At right is Simon Lacoursiere, the man whom officers allege is the offender in the case. (Credit: ALERT)

A provincial police task force is looking for help identifying a young victim of sexual assault.

The Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE) of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) said in a media release Thursday morning officers have discovered evidence of sexual assault against two young girls in the province.

They said they have identified one girl in the case. The offences took place between November 2017 and February 2019, likely in the Edmonton area, police said. They believe the unknown victim was six to eight years old at the time.

The ICE unit is sharing a photo of a distinctive T-shirt the unknown victim was wearing in hopes of identifying her.

Police said the man they allege sexually assaulted the girls is 40-year-old Simon Lacoursiere, who was charged in October by officers in the ICE unit with child exploitation offences. He has been in police custody since.

Anyone who can help identify the unknown girl in the case or who has information about Lacoursiere is asked to call ICE at 825-556-2423, or to contact local police or Crime Stoppers.

Officers say they found evidence of child sexual assault victims on computers and electronic devices that were seized from Lacoursiere’s home.

Charges against him include sexual assault, sexual interference, bestiality, and transmitting and distributing child sexual abuse and obscene materials.

Lacoursiere is slated to return to court for trial in April next year.

ALERT is the province’s joint police task force.