A former member of Parkland County Fire Services accused of child sexual exploitation offences has been sentenced to 15 months in jail.
Matthew Brian Shaw, 28, was sentenced in Edmonton Court of King’s Bench on Oct. 10, 2025, after pleading guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. He was also given 30 months of probation while four other counts against him were withdrawn.
Following an investigation by ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit, Shaw was arrested on June 5, 2024, with the help of Parkland RCMP. Police say Shaw was originally charged with the following:
- Possession of child pornography.
- Accessing child pornography.
- Transmitting child pornography.
- Unsafe storage of a firearm (x2).
According to investigators, between Oct. 24, 2023 and June 5, 2024, Shaw allegedly distributed child sexual abuse material over the social media application, Snapchat. Officers with ALERT say they were notified of the alleged offence by the RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre in October of 2023.
“We have charged suspects from all sorts of professions, all walks of life, and there is truly no demographic profile,” said Staff Sgt. Jon Morrison, ALERT ICE, at the time of the arrest. “This underscores the need for awareness and education between parents and children concerning online safety.”
Police say during the search of Shaw’s home, a number of computers and electronic devices were seized, which were being examined to collect further evidence. Police say several firearms were also located, which were not being lawfully stored.
Shaw was released from custody on a number of court-imposed conditions.
“When Parkland County was made aware of the charges brought against Matthew Shaw in June, he was placed immediately and indefinitely on an unpaid leave of absence. Parkland County will reassess the matter upon the conclusion of all RCMP investigations and legal interventions,” read a statement from Parkland County Fire Services following Shaw’s arrest.
However, now that those legal proceedings have concluded, Parkland County officials have confirmed that Matthew Shaw’s position as a paid, on-call firefighter, has now been terminated.
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