Man pleads guilty to luring, sexually abusing 28 girls he met on Snapchat and TikTok

Campbell Fergusson, a 51-year-old part owner of a Leduc machine shop, pleaded guilty Thursday to seven counts including child luring, making child sexual abuse material, and paying children for sexual services. He exploited 28 girls, the youngest 12 years old, whom he contacted on Snapchat and TikTok using anonymous handles, often misrepresenting his age.

Fergusson offered cash for sexualized images and engaged in in-person sexual assault in 13 cases. He picked girls up from school, from their homes after parents left, and drove them to secluded areas where he assaulted them in his pickup truck, typically wearing a medical mask. He asked victims for introductions to other girls, expanding his network of prey.

Police first became aware of the abuse in April 2025 through a cybertip and began investigating after six teen girls made complaints. Fergusson was arrested June 26, 2025, when the ALERT Internet Child Exploitation unit searched his home and business, seizing digital devices. Officers found child sexual abuse material on a USB drive in his office.

Fergusson cooperated with investigators, providing his phone password and admitting to luring six complainants while acknowledging other victims. He told police: "I'm willing to work with you guys. To be honest, I wanted this to stop for a long time," and "It's an epidemic, it's everywhere. I don't know how I got onto it, but it's hard to stop."

Victims accepted payments to buy snacks, nails, room items, and in some cases drugs and alcohol. One victim noted it is "very common" for men to message girls her age offering payment for nude images and sex, but Fergusson stood out for his persistence.

Fergusson attributed his behavior to "some demons from childhood" and claimed he did not share any of the images. Prosecutor Ioana Corabian spent nearly an hour reading an agreed statement of facts in court. Sentencing is postponed until 2027, pending a psychological report ordered by the defence. The allegations have not been tested in court.