Two children at centre of Sask. Amber Alert found safe in South Dakota, suspect arrested
The Meade County Sheriff’s Office in South Dakota said it has arrested the man wanted in connection with an Amber Alert in Saskatchewan.
Police confirmed to CTV News that 50-year-old Benjamin Martin Moore has been arrested.
Moore, as well as his common-law spouse, are currently in police custody in South Dakota.
The two children at the centre of the alert were recovered safely. All four were located at a campground near Sturgis, S.D.
The children are now in state custody and officials are making plans to return them to what they said is their rightful custodian.
RCMP confirmed the four people involved in the alert were located.
“There was most definitely a collective sigh of relief amongst all agencies involved in bringing these two young children to safety,” Chief Superintendent Tyler Bates of the Saskatchewan RCMP’s South District said in a Wednesday news release.
“Obviously, there is a long road ahead and a number of investigative avenues that need to be followed up on. We want to assure the public that this investigation remains a priority for the Saskatchewan RCMP.”
South Dakota’s Amber Alert was issued late on Tuesday night and lasted about 90 minutes before they were found.
The Amber Alert was issued for the two children at the request of Shaunavon RCMP at approximately 7:20 p.m. on August 8.
Speaking Tuesday, RCMP confirmed Moore has a history of sexual offences against children and vulnerable persons.
Moore was previously charged and convicted of sexually touching a young child under the age of 16 and possessing child pornography in June 2009, according to provincial court records.
Court records show he was sentenced to two years at the Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary in Prince Albert for those convictions.
Shaunavon RCMP was asked to assist the Ministry of Social Services with an investigation into allegations surrounding Moore. Before police could question him, Moore, the two children and their mother had vacated their residence, RCMP said.
Authorities visited the home in Eastend on Aug. 5 but it had already been vacated.
The ministry then sought an apprehension order for the children, resulting in the Amber Alert.
RCMP said Moore failed to report a change of main or secondary residence to the registration centre, as required by the sex offender information registry act.
As a result, Moore was charged and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Following the alert, RCMP said an individual reported an incident involving Moore to police.
“We are encouraging anyone else who may have been a victim of Benjamin Moore to file a report with the police,” Chief Superintendent Tyler Bates of the Saskatchewan RCMP’s South District said Tuesday.
“We take these matters seriously and we want to ensure survivors are supported.”
RCMP clarified in a Wednesday news release that authorities had visited Moore’s residence to execute a search warrant on Aug. 5. The date was previously reported as Aug. 2 by the Saskatchewan RCMP.
With files from CTV News Regina's Allison Bamford
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into a 'grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.