KENTVILLE - A 27-year-old man arrested on the weekend after a warrant was issued for him on internet luring and child exploitation charges has been released from custody pending his next court appearance.
Aaron Byron Cumberland was released on his own recognizance after appearing in Halifax provincial court Monday morning. His release conditions include having no contact with anyone under the age of 18.
Cumberland turned himself in at Halifax Regional Police headquarters on Saturday, the day after RCMP released his name and photo.
Police had asked for and received a warrant for his arrest the day before because they had been unable to locate him and feared he may be trying to leave the country, said Const. Mandy Edwards of the RCMP’s internet child exploitation unit.
Cumberland is charged with three counts of luring a child, one of inviting a child to touch him sexually, and one of making sexually explicit material available to a child.
The allegations are dated between March of 2016 and earlier this month.
Edwards said she couldn’t comment on whether the three charges of luring a child involved one child or more than one, but that they involved different dates. She wouldn’t give ages or genders of the alleged victims, but said they are from Kings County.
She said someone came to police with information earlier this month that led to their investigation and the charges being laid.
She said she couldn’t comment on whether the charges relate to involvement with tennis coaching in Kings County.
Edwards said the investigation is continuing and more charges are possible. Anyone with information on the case can contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.
In 2013, Cumberland, who was born in Romania but grew up in Chicago and Toronto, was named Tennis Nova Scotia’s coach of the year.
He has taught tennis at various locations, including in Kentville and New Minas. He ran Cangaroo Tennis, which provided tennis instructors for programs throughout Kings County. The company’s website shows programs were scheduled for five towns and communities for 2017.
The province’s Registry of Joint Stock Companies shows Cangaroo Athletic Association as defaulting for non-payment in January 2016. Cumberland was listed as executive director and general manager, and living in Kentville at the time.
When police were looking for Cumberland over the weekend, they said his last known address was in Bedford.
Cumberland is due to appear in Kentville provincial court on Nov. 27.
Source: The Chronicle Herald
