2 Ottawa men charged in Ontario child sexual exploitation investigation
An Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) patch is seen in Ottawa, on September 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
Two Ottawa residents are facing charges in connection to a child sexual exploitation investigation in Ontario this spring.
Ontario Provincial Police say 21 police services took part in the luring investigation between March 31 and April 11, including the Ottawa Police Service, Cornwall police and Belleville police.
'Investigators utilized undercover techniques to access online chatrooms and social media applications in order to identify, locate and arrest persons looking to sexually exploit children,' the OPP said.
Police say all 36 people facing charges are male, from Ontario and British Columbia, and range in age from 18 to 73. Fifty-one investigations remain ongoing.
'Although this was a luring investigation in which officers posed as children online and waited for offenders to make contact, nine real victims were identified. They have been provided support and are safe,' the OPP said in a statement.
'One of the accused arrived at the meeting location with snacks and one arrived with sexual paraphernalia.'
A 40-year-old Ottawa man and a 61-year-old man from Ottawa are each facing two counts of luring a person under 16.
A 56-year-old Belleville man is facing a single count of luring a person under 16.
'These results highlight a sobering reality: predators can easily reach children in online spaces,' OPP Det. Sgt. Tim Brown said in a statement.
'We urge parents and guardians to remain vigilant and to talk to your children about staying safe online. Just as you wouldn't leave your child alone in a city, don't let them navigate the online world alone.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
14 minutes ago
- CBC
Missing 17-year-old girl last seen in Winnipeg's North End
Social Sharing A missing girl was last seen in Winnipeg's North End on Monday afternoon. Faith-Lynn Hope Fontaine, 17, was last seen around 4:15 p.m. at the corner of McGregor Street and St. Johns Avenue. Fontaine is described as five feet, nine inches tall, about 110 pounds with a thin build, blond hair and hazel eyes. Anyone with information is asked to contact the missing persons unit at 204-986-6250.
CTV News
25 minutes ago
- CTV News
Ontario police announce record fentanyl bust; more than 43 kilograms seized
An Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) patch is seen in Ottawa, on September 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby Ontario Provincial Police have seized a record 43.5 kilograms of fentanyl following two separate investigations, including one aimed at dismantling a dark web-based trafficking network. Police announced the results of Project Bionic and Project Golden on Tuesday at a news conference. They said the drugs seized equate to 435,000 potentially lethal street-level doses of the powerful synthetic Commissioner Thomas Carrique called both investigations 'historic,' noting that Project Bionic's five-month probe into the dark web was the first of its kind. 'As drug trafficking networks evolve in complexity, so too must out investigative strategies. Today's results demonstrate how our approach continues to address this growing threat,' he said in a statement. Carrique added that the 38 kilograms of fentanyl seized as a result of Project Golden is the OPP's largest fentanyl seizure to date. Members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Hamilton Police Service participated in the investigations. In addition to the drugs seized between the two investigations, police said they seized large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, heroin, ketamine and prescription drugs. This is a breaking news story. More to come.
CTV News
27 minutes ago
- CTV News
Strip search of inmates at Milton jail to be investigated by Ontario's Ombudsman
The Maplehurst Correctional Complex is shown in Milton, Ont., on Friday, March 8, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette The province's Ombudsman has launched an investigation into an incident at Maplehurst Correctional Complex where several inmates were stripped to their boxers and forced to sit on the floor and face the wall. The incident took place following the assault of a correctional officer in December 2023. In an announcement on Monday, Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube said the investigation is being conducted 'due to significant public concerns about transparency, accountability and inmates' rights.' Dube said his office has been contacted by several inmates and members of the public who are concerned about what happened. The Toronto Star previously released a surveillance video showing the incident at the Milton, Ont., facility. Dube noted that about 60 complaints were received by his office. 'The Ministry has already investigated the incident. What my investigation will cover is the steps the Ministry took as a result, and what it is doing to make sure something like this does not happen again,' Dube said in a news release. According to the Ombudsman, the inmates involved were in Unit 8. After the assault of a correctional officer, the complex's Institutional Crisis Intervention Team (ICIT) was deployed for two days. The Ombudsman said ICIT officers in tactical gear patrolled behind the inmates, who were sitting on the floor facing the wall with their hands zip-tied and only wearing boxer shorts. 'When an incident occurs in an Ontario correctional facility that impacts the administration of justice and the rights of inmates, it is imperative that we understand why it happened and what is being done to ensure that it does not recur,' Dube said. The Ombudsman noted that the incident resulted in some inmates having their sentences reduced, and in one case, the prosecution acknowledged that an inmate's rights under the Charter were violated. Dube's investigation will not examine personnel or disciplinary matters related to individual correctional staff.
