Calgary trucker charged by U.S. officials in alleged child exploitation sting

A Calgary man has been charged by authorities in the United States following an undercover online child exploitation investigation involving multiple state law enforcement agencies.

Kelly Maier, 41, was arrested in Idaho Falls, Idaho, on Dec. 18, 2025, and later charged with one count of enticing a minor, according to Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador.

U.S. media outlets have identified Maier as a truck driver from Calgary.

The arrest followed an investigation by Idaho’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit, with assistance from multiple local law enforcement agencies across the state.

“Thanks to the strong partnerships we’ve built with law enforcement across Idaho, individuals like this are being arrested for these terrible crimes against children and families,” said Labrador in a statement.

“When agencies coordinate like this, those who threaten our kids get removed from our streets. I am grateful for these partnerships and the commitment every officer brings to protecting Idaho’s children.”

As reported by East Idaho News, a detective with the ICAC task force was conducting an undercover online operation on Dec. 8 using a fake profile of a teenage girl. A user claiming to be a 37-year-old man messaged the account. After being told the girl was 14, the man continued messaging, identified himself as a truck driver and to call him “daddy.”

Court records cited by U.S. media outlets allege the man arranged to meet the girl at a gas station, where officers arrested him.

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Jan. 13 in the Bonneville County Magistrate Court.