A doctor who practiced in Sylvan Lake for 30 years is accused of allegedly trying to have sex with a five-year-old child.
Edmonton police arrested Dr. Fred Janke, 62, on June 28. He was charged with child exploitation offences after a joint investigation involving ALERT’S Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit and the Victoria Police Department.
Janke is facing charges of making arrangements to commit sexual offences against a child as well as making and distributing child pornography. Since the charges are strictly related to online offences, ICE encourages anyone with information about this case to come forward and contact police or cybertip.ca
Police allege Janke was engaged in sexually explicit conversations since October 2017 with a person he met online. The sexual conversations progressed to Janke attempting to arrange to have sex with the person’s five-year-old daughter. The daughter didn’t exist and instead, Janke was in fact, speaking with a Victoria Police Department undercover officer.
According to Mike Tucker, communications director of ALERT, the Victoria Police Department’s ICE unit was conducting proactive, online investigation involving a website known to host online chat rooms geared towards child sex.
“Once the Victoria Police Department ICE investigators determined the suspect was based in Alberta the information was referred to ALERT’s Ice Unit,” said Tucker.
ALERT – which targets serious and organized crime – is funded by the Alberta Government and has the most sophisticated law enforcement resources in the province. It consists of members of Calgary Police Service, Edmonton Police Service, Lethbridge Police Service, Medicine Hat Police Service, and RCMP work in ALERT.
The Alberta College of Family Physicians issued a statement Friday afternoon saying they were “shocked and saddened” by the news announced June 29 about Dr. Janke.
“Due to the gravity of this matter we will not be available for further comment,” said Terri Potter, executive director of Alberta College of Family Physicians.
Dr. Janke was president of the Alberta College of Family Physicians but was removed Friday. President-Elect Dr. Vishal Bhellahas takes the role effective immediately.
Dr. Janke will be asked to withdraw from practicing medicine and if he refuses the College of Physicians and Surgeons can suspend his license.
Dr. Janke is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta and Director of Rural and Regional Health in the Division of Community Engagement. He was named as Outstanding Clinician of the Year for the David Thompson Health Region and in 2002, he was honoured for his contributions to Family Medicine through a Canadian College of Family Physician Fellowship Award. The Professional Association of Residents of Alberta also recognized Dr. Janke with an award for excellence in clinical teaching in 2002-03. He received a Fellowship from the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada in 2009 for his service to rural communities and teaching rural medicine.
He is listed as a physician on the Sylvan Family Health Centre. Their website states that he has contributed to the family in numerous ways including the Sylvan Lake Extended Care Society. He organized fundraisers to help make a nursing home become a reality in 2003. He also led many mission projects in Jamaica that helped provide free medical care to people in Jamaica and Belize.
The allegations against Dr. Janke haven’t been proven in a court of law.
