An Edmonton man, Imesh Ratnayake, 23, has admitted to a series of disturbing sexual offenses against eight young girls he connected with via social media. In Edmonton’s Court of King’s Bench on Tuesday, Ratnayake pleaded guilty to 11 criminal charges, acknowledging that between January 2020 and December 2022, he targeted and exploited girls aged 11 to 16 in the Edmonton area.
Initially facing 37 counts, Ratnayake’s guilty plea includes charges such as two counts of touching a person under 16 for a sexual purpose, six counts of using telecommunications to communicate with a minor in committing an offense, and one count each of making and transmitting child pornography and extortion.
Ratnayake, who appeared via video from the Edmonton Remand Centre, admitted to using platforms like Snapchat and Instagram to groom his victims. He deceived some by posing as a teenager and coerced two of the youngest girls into meeting him in person, where he filmed his abuse.
The Crown prosecutor detailed the harrowing extent of Ratnayake’s crimes, revealing how he shared explicit videos of the victims, leading to widespread circulation and further trauma for the girls.
Ratnayake’s sentencing is set for November 15, with both a pre-sentencing and psychiatric report to be prepared.
