Dad Confronts Pervert At West Edmonton Mall

Edmonton theatre washroom incident results in

child porn charges

A man is facing child pornography charges after an incident in the men’s washroom at West Edmonton Mall’s Scotiabank Theatre Sunday.

By Phil Heidenreich

Edmonton police said Wednesday morning 41-year-old Aaron Voon has been charged with possession of child pornography, making child pornography and voyeurism.



Sgt. Steve Sharpe with the Edmonton Police Service said it is alleged Voon used a mobile device to record a video of an individual in the movie theatre washroom. It happened at around 4 p.m. Sunday.

In a video posted to Facebook, a father confronts a man and accuses him of videotaping his young son at the urinal. The father demands to see the man’s phone.

In photos on the same Facebook page, the man is surrounded by three others and put in a headlock.

One witness told Global News she saw the confrontation unfold as she walked out of a screening of The Angry Birds movie with her son. She said the man’s phone was taken by the father.

“They were kind of having a little bit of a confrontation and he (the father) kept asking ‘can I just see what’s on your phone?'” Ashley Jackson said. “The father kept putting up his hands and saying ‘No, I need to see what’s on your phone- I think I saw you take a video.'”

“Then the father of the boy kept saying to his wife ‘Well, what’s on the phone did you find anything?’ And the mother goes ‘I’m still looking, I’m still looking’ and then after a couple of seconds, you kind of hear her let out this scream and that’s when she said that she found the video of her son going to the bathroom. … I won’t be able to forget that.”

Jackson said she was standing close enough to the mother that she could also see the video. While the boy’s face wasn’t in frame, she could see his body from the shoulders down and see him going to the bathroom.

Jackson said she called police and the suspect was held by people at the box office until officers arrived and took him away.

She said she was disturbed because she saw the suspect sit through the same movie she had gone to with her son.

“I grabbed my son and I had to back up and get away from the guy,” Jackson said. “My stomach dropped and I started feeling really hot in the face – I instantly felt just nauseous.”

Glori Meldrum, the founder of Little Warriors, which advocates for child sex victims, said the alleged incident is concerning.

“If somebody is that bold – to go in and actually videotape a young child going to the bathroom – what are they going to do next?” she asked. “Anybody that preys on children – they go where the kids go – and they’re hunters. They’ll figure out a way to get access.”

Police did not say if the incident is connected to the confrontation caught on video.

-With files from Sarah Kraus.

© 2016 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The Trauma of Child Sex Abuse Can Be Overcome

Can trajectory of child sexual abuse victims be changed?

The Be Brave Ranch clinical results show improved outcomes for child sexual abuse survivors

University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry

Today, the University of Alberta and Little Warriors announced the highly anticipated preliminary results of the clinical trials performed at the Little Warriors Be Brave Ranch, confirming that the four-week intervention program significantly reduces the psychological impacts of child sexual abuse. 

As the first intensive program to demonstrate such clinical impact, these results suggest a breakthrough for the lasting mental health of child sexual abuse survivors and for the far-reaching outcomes of this severe trauma.

Glori Meldrum,
founder and chair of Little Warriors

The Be Brave Ranch, whose programming Little Warriors commissioned the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry to develop under Dr. Peter Silverstone and Dr. Jacqui Linder, is the first and only facility of its kind to offer intensive, dedicated and multi-modal treatment to child sexual abuse survivors (aged 8 to 12). The clinical trials evaluated this new treatment model, which provides child survivors with the unique opportunity to access individual and group therapies in a residential environment, alongside peers who have experienced similar trauma.

Results, published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Behaviour, confirm the program's success, measuring a highly significant reduction in symptoms. This includes a 25% reduction in child post-traumatic stress disorder scores (PTSD), a reduction in the number of children experiencing PTSD (14 children, down from 26) and a significant reduction in depression and anxiety. Forecasts also suggest reduced mental health related issues and enriched outcomes for these children in the future, potentially improving societal and economic outcomes.

"The Be Brave Ranch offers the caliber of comprehensive treatment that child sexual abuse survivors need and deserve," says Glori Meldrum, founder and chair of Little Warriors. "With peer support, various therapies to reach different personalities, and full program immersion, we have seen significant impacts and growth. Our clinical trial results confirm everything we have worked for, and we are excited to continue helping children grow into happy, healthy adults."

With child sexual abuse affecting millions of children across North America, and multiple long-term psychiatric and physical outcomes identified, the completion of this phase of the Be Brave Ranch clinical trials signifies a major milestone for children, families and our society as a whole.

We have uncovered new hope for this horrific crime

Dr. Peter Silverstone

"Successful programs can not only reduce the suffering of child survivors, but can also significantly lower future health care costs by changing the health trajectory of children," says Dr. Peter Silverstone, professor of Psychiatry with the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. "These initial results demonstrate that the application of multiple, intensive treatment methods can impact the individual and overarching outcomes of child sexual abuse. In layman's terms, we have uncovered new hope for this horrific crime."

Following these results, Little Warriors and the University of Alberta plan to continue to help support and heal child sexual abuse survivors and their families at the Be Brave Ranch.

Congratulations, Glori, You are my hero again. God bless you.