A former District of North Vancouver firefighter was among 47 men rounded up in a Vancouver Police Department sting targeting men who were allegedly seeking sex with underage girls and is now facing charges.
When the VPD announced the arrests in January, they referenced a firefighter being among those accused.
Mitchell Brett Maurer, 39, has since been charged with communicating for the purpose of obtaining the sexual services of a person under the age of 18. He made his first court appearance last month.
In November 2018, VPD’s Counter Exploitation Unit and the RCMP’s Counter Exploitation team placed online ads for escort services. When Johns expressed interest via text, an undercover cop responded, specifically leading the men to believe they were talking to a girl between the ages of 15 and 17. While most men turned the offer down, others proceeded to arrange a meet-up at an undisclosed Vancouver hotel, police said at the time.
On Thursday, a District of North Vancouver spokesperson said Maurer is "no longer employed with the district.”
If convicted, Maurer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of a six-month jail term.
Maurer’s lawyer has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Maurer has not yet entered a plea to the charges and none of the allegations have been proven in court.
