Airdrie man pleads guilty to breach of court orders after meeting 12-year-old
A Calgary man has pleaded guilty to a breach of court orders after admitting he met a 12-year-old in Airdrie, violating no-contact conditions imposed following earlier child‑pornography convictions.
Zain Alnoor Merchant, 38, entered a guilty plea Thursday in provincial court to breaching two Criminal Code orders that barred him from having contact with minors. Crown prosecutor Jenny Rees told Justice Kristin Fahlman that a statement of agreed facts, signed by Merchant and his lawyer Rebecca Snukal, detailed multiple interactions between Merchant and the child in late 2023. The offences relate to court orders issued in 2022 and 2023 after Merchant’s convictions on child‑pornography–related charges.
Plea and court record
Merchant pleaded guilty to the two countable breaches in a hearing where the agreed facts were read into the record. His lawyer, Rebecca Snukal, filed the statement and requested a forensic assessment, which Justice Fahlman ordered at Snukal’s request. A sentencing date will be set next week, court officials said.
The breaches stem from conditions attached to prior convictions under the Criminal Code, which prohibited Merchant from contacting minors. Crown counsel described the admissions in court; Merchant acknowledged elements of the agreed statement during the hearing. He remains at liberty on existing conditions until he is sentenced.
How the meetings unfolded
According to the agreed facts read by the Crown, Merchant arranged to meet a 12-year-old at a park in Airdrie and then drove the child to a nearby 7-Eleven. The pair purchased a drink, then went to a McDonald’s where Merchant bought a Happy Meal, and they continued to drive around and converse.
Crown prosecutor Jenny Rees told the court Merchant told the boy his “number one rule” was to “respect people’s boundaries,” and that when the child declined a sexual invitation Merchant replied, “yep, that’s okay.” The statement indicates Merchant also spoke about how they had connected via Snapchat and that he told the child he owned a delivery company.
Digital evidence and phones
The agreed facts say Merchant showed the child photographs and videos on a grey Samsung phone that depicted a naked woman in a shower and two males engaged in sexual activity. The youth reported Merchant also used an iPhone in a red case to make purchases during their time together.
Following the youth’s report to friends and their decision to confront Merchant, police later obtained a licence plate and traced Merchant to a Calgary residence. Investigators recovered the iPhone after his arrest but were unable to locate the grey Samsung device containing the explicit images described by the youth.
Community response and the role of peers
The matter came to police attention after the 12-year-old alerted friends that he had been in contact with an adult he described as a “pedo.” The youth’s peers then confronted Merchant at the 7-Eleven and arranged for him to return; the encounter ended when the child exited Merchant’s vehicle at a red light and Merchant drove away.
Those actions by the youth and his friends provided the crucial initial information that allowed investigators to obtain the licence plate number and identify Merchant’s location. Police executed an arrest at his Calgary home, leading to the recovery of one phone and subsequent criminal proceedings.
Charges considered but not pursued
Merchant had faced more serious allegations, including kidnapping and sexual contact with a minor, according to the Crown. However, Rees told the court those charges could not be advanced due to a lack of forensic evidence linking them to the alleged conduct.
As a result, the Crown moved forward with the breaches of court orders, which were admitted by Merchant. The decision not to pursue the additional charges reflects prosecutorial discretion tied to the strength of available evidence and forensic findings.
Next steps: assessment and sentencing
At the defence’s request, Justice Fahlman ordered an assessment by the Forensic Assessment Outpatient Service to evaluate Merchant prior to sentencing. The assessment is expected to inform the court about risk, treatment needs and other factors relevant to an appropriate sentence.
A date for sentencing will be set at a scheduling appearance next week. Until then, Merchant remains free under existing conditions, subject to the court-ordered restrictions that were the basis of the breach charges.
The case underscores the legal consequences of violating no-contact orders tied to sexual-offence–related convictions, and the role community reporting played in bringing the matter to police attention.
