A Calgary man has been charged in a case where a 12-year-old girl from Lethbridge was allegedly lured online and sexually assaulted.
Lethbridge Police began investigating in April 2025 when they received a report of a missing child.
Investigators later determined the girl had been picked up near her home the day before by a man she had met online. He allegedly took her to a rental property in Lethbridge, where police say he sexually assaulted her multiple times before leaving the city.
Officers located the rental unit and seized physical evidence during a search. Investigators also obtained video surveillance of the suspect while he was in the city, along with online communications between him and the victim, which reportedly included sexually explicit images.
On Wednesday, with help from the Calgary Police Service, the suspect was arrested at his Calgary home. A search warrant was executed at the house, and additional evidence was seized.
Jhanger Ali Sameer, 26, of Calgary, is facing multiple charges, including sexual assault, invitation to sexual touching, sexual interference, possession of child pornography, and two counts of child luring. He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in a Lethbridge courtroom on Thursday.
Police believe this may not be an isolated incident and are urging anyone who may have been victimized or has information to come forward. A photo of Sameer, who may be known online as “Sam,” has been released as part of the ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Lethbridge Police at 403-328-4444 and reference file number 25006945.