Police believe social media played a role in a child porn case after dozens of charges were laid against a former Calgary courts security guard late Thursday night.

Detective Joel Rumancik of the Internet Child Exploitation Unit has confirmed Daniel Mackie is facing 77 child-pornography-related charges in connection with 16 alleged victims across Alberta.

Included in the charges are accessing, possessing, making, and distributing child porn, as well as child luring, invitation to sexual touching, extortion and impersonation.

Rumancik said all the alleged victims are under 16 years old.

“Social networking sites are what (the accused) was using to exploit them,” claimed Rumancik.

Metro learned of the case in August 2011 and discovered at the time of his arrest that Mackie was employed as a supervisor with Securitas, a contracted security company.  He was stationed at the Calgary Courts Centre.

Rumancik said they are once again warning parents of online dangers, as many of the parents didn’t know their child had been victimized until they were contacted by the police.

“Some of the ways that kids access the Internet aren’t necessarily on home computers or laptops,” he said.

“Any thing that connects to the Internet, kids can access and be victimized online that way.”

He said anyone who may have been victimized in relation to this case should contact him directly at joel.rumancik@calgaryICE.ca