A Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, resident is in custody for allegedly enticing a 10-year-old girl from the United States.
A Dartmouth resident is suspected of grooming a 10-year-old US girl online.
Last month, the NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) raised concerns about a Canadian man engaging in interactions with a young girl in the US.
Halifax Regional Police stated that the strange exchange transpired on platforms like Slowly and Snapchat since January 2025. John Aaron Shute, a 42-year-old man, is accused of pretending to be a 15-year-old boy and partaking in inappropriate sexual conversations.
As the investigation unfolded, Shute was found to have sent gifts and letters to the girl using the mail.
In partnership with the Lakeshore Regional Child Advocacy Center in Wisconsin, they carried out a search warrant at a residence on Gaston Road in Dartmouth on June 5. During the raid, electronic devices and firearms were seized.
Shute was apprehended without incident and currently awaits a future court appearance in Dartmouth provincial court. He will be addressing charges for:
- luring a child under 16
- possession of child pornography
- making child pornography
- breaching two probation orders involving children
- five firearm-related offenses
- failing to comply with an order
With the investigation ongoing, more charges could be brought forth. Authorities remind everyone to report any suspected child exploitation instances, as a failure to do so is punishable in Nova Scotia, according to police.
The ongoing investigation has uncovered that John Aaron Shute is also suspected of watching inappropriate news videos related to crime and justice and following general-news websites for similar content. Local authorities are urging citizens to be vigilant and report any potential online interactions that may involve child exploitation, just as they did in this case.
