Latest news with #luringinvestigation
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Kitchener man among the 36 people charged in child sex exploitation bust
A provincewide investigation into child sexual exploitation has resulted in the arrest of 36 people. Among them is a 32-year-old Kitchener man, who has not been named. He's charged with two counts of making child pornography available and two counts of possession of child pornography. Ontario Provincial Police said 128 criminal charges were laid during the luring investigation, which ran from March 31 to April 11. '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,' they explained in a media release Thursday. '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.' OPP said the men were between the ages of 18 and 73. They lived in Ottawa, Pickering, Hamilton, London, Burlington, West Lincoln, Niagara Falls, Mississauga, Toronto, Vaughn, Belleville, Barrie, Chatham, Hensall, Ayton, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Burlington, Hamilton, Brampton and Abottsford, B.C. Some of them could not be identified due to a publication ban. Police said one of the men arrived at a meet-up with snacks, while another brought lubricant and condoms. Only one of the accused was listed on the National Sex Offender Registry. OPP said another 51 investigations are ongoing. The Provincial Internet Child Exploitation Strategy is made up of the Ontario Provincial Police Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, Ministry of the Attorney General, Ministry of the Solicitor General, and 26 municipal police forces, including: the Brantford Police Service, the Guelph Police Service and the Waterloo Regional Police Service. Anyone with information that could help with the investigation is asked to contact their local police service or report it online to
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Barrie man among 35 others charged in large scale child exploitation investigation
A Barrie man has been charged along with 35 other individuals in connection with a large-scale, province-wide child sexual exploitation investigation resulting in a total of 128 charges laid. Provincial police say members from more than 20 police services, including the Barrie Police Service, posed as children in online chatrooms and social media apps during the two-week course of the investigation to identify and locate individuals seeking to sexually exploit children. "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," provincial police stated. 'One of the accused arrived at the meeting location with snacks and one arrived with sexual paraphernalia (lubricant and condoms). One of the arrested was listed on the National Sex Offender Registry.' Those accused are all men between 18 and 73 years of age, including a 55-year-old Barrie man, who is charged with three counts of luring a person under 16 and making sexually explicit material available to a child. He has since been released from custody with a court appearance scheduled for next week. 'These results highlight a sobering reality: predators can easily reach children in online spaces. 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," stated OPP Det. Staff Sgt. Tim Brown.
