This man posted photos of his 'daughter' online for years. Her real family is horrified

Warning: This story includes disturbing content

A Calgary mom and dad are reeling after discovering a stranger has been taking photos of their young daughter from the family's social media accounts and, police say, using them to convince others he's a single father who is struggling financially. 

Brian Keith Strachan, also from Calgary, has been taking the girl's photos for about eight years and posting them on his own social media accounts, claiming he's been raising her since she was born. The girl is now eight years old. 

He even gave her a fake name — Amanda.

Someone tipped the family off after seeing the girl's photo online last week. 

CBC News is not using the family's last names to protect the girl's identity.

"I'm just in shock and sickened that this guy has this stuff… I was just in disbelief," her dad, Kenny, said in an exclusive interview.

"It's sickening, gut wrenching," her mom, Tamara, said. "I just didn't really know what to do. It was like we didn't ever want our daughter to leave our side."

The family provided CBC News with dozens of the images from Strachan's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts, which have now been either locked down or deleted. 

They show the girl from when she was a toddler up until just a few days ago.

In one, the girl is about two years old and wearing a Wonder Woman costume. 

Strachan's post, supposedly in the young girl's voice, reads: "If I grow up to be half the person you are Dad, then I will consider my life a success."

In another, she's wearing a graduation hat and gown after finishing kindergarten. 

That post says: "If I can teach my 8 year old daughter Amanada to make money I CAN AND WILL TEACH YOU." It's not clear what exactly Strachan is proposing to teach.