A detective presses a button to close a garage door on Cranston Dr. S.E. Thursday during a search of a home. A Calgary Police Service constable has been charged with Internet luring. LYLE ASPINALL/SUN MEDIA

CALGARY - Nabbed in his force's own sting operation, a city police officer has been charged with luring a teenage girl over the Internet.

It's alleged Const. Randann Sargent, 26, who's served with the force for 21/2 years, was in contact on a chat service with a fictional minor with the intention of having the victim supply photographs this fall.

Sargent believed his contact to be a 17-year-old, said Sun sources.

The officer, it's alleged, intended to contact a minor, said Clifton Purvis, executive director of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT).

"He was charged with one count of using a computer system to communicate with a person he believed to be under the age of 18 years," said Purvis.

"The person he was communicating with was not previously known to him."

If taken, such photos would legally be considered child pornography, though investigators are still examining four computers seized to see if they contain any images, he said.

Sargent's arrest came after a two-month investigation by the Integrated Child Exploitation unit, which includes the Calgary force.

The multiple contacts with the supposed minor allegedly occurred between May 19 and June 10 and Sargent was arrested on Thursday.

City police say a complaint of professional misconduct was filed last October.

He's been released on a $2,500 bond and has been relieved of duty with pay and would undergo a test before being admitted back, said acting Chief Jim Hornby.

"Any time there's an allegation against a police officer in the CPS, it concerns us greatly," said Hornby.

As the Sun reported yesterday, investigators with ASIRT --which probes allegations against police -- pored over Sargent's two-storey Cranston Dr. S.E. home on Thursday.

Additional charges related to child pornography could be laid if any additional evidence is recovered from the computers, said Purvis.

Sargent has enjoyed a good reputation on the force, said John Dooks, president of the Calgary Police Association.

"He has an otherwise spotless career, has been a highly motivated and productive officer," said Dooks.

Conditions of the constable's bail prevent him from using a computer and contacting anyone under the age of 18.

It's the second time in the past year someone connected with the Calgary force has been embroiled in a youth porn case.

Last December, retired officer Steve Huggett pleaded guilty to possessing child porn and is to be sentenced later this month.

Sargent will make a court appearance July 2.

BILL.KAUFMANN@SUNMEDIA.CA