Child lurer may have tried to meet hundreds of kids online
Posted August 14, 2012 10:40 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
ABBOTSFORD (NEWS1130) – The investigation into a young man convicted of luring boys online just got a lot bigger.
Abbotsford Police say Jeffrey Goddard has been busy on social media since his release in February, which is a breach of his court ordered conditions. Goddard is accused of spending several weeks creating an alias with a Facebook page.
Constable Ian MacDonald says he used the name “Ryan Stewart” and a fake business named ‘Stewart Landscaping’ to accumulate hundreds of “friends” in a short time, each under 18. Officers need to talk to all of them.
“The reason we’re going public with this is that this ‘Ryan Martin Stewart’, a.k.a., Jeff Goddard, has accumulated 267 Facebook friends,” says MacDonald.
“We’re preparing ourselves for what may be an onslaught of contact,” MacDonald adds. “We certainly are ready for that. We believe, investigatively, that it’s important enough that we would have the resources to deal with that.”
MacDonald says the effort is worth it to get Goddard off the streets. “I think when you have potentially up to 300 witnesses, that definitely strengthens your case.”
Goddard served 20 months in jail for pretending to be a cop online to meet boys. He was the subject of a public warning after his release in February. Police say he was arrested again last week after trying to contact victims.
MacDonald notes anyone who may have had contact with Goddard directly or through the alias should contact the Abbotsford Police Department at (604) 859-5225.
