Dozens face child pornography charges including 7 Mississauga residents and 1 Brampton man
Published November 30, 2022 at 1:33 pm
A massive, province-wide, child sex abuse and internet exploitation investigation has led to hundreds of child pornography charges including for Mississauga and Brampton residents.
OPP announced the results of the huge investigation, named Project MAVERICK today (Nov. 30).
Completed in October, the investigation included 27 policing partners who conducted 255 investigations, completed 168 search warrants and seized 1,032 devices.
In total, 428 charges were laid against 107 people.
During the investigations, 61 victims were identified and referred to appropriate community-based resources for assistance, while an additional 60 children were safeguarded. There are 175 ongoing investigations where additional charges may be laid.
“These numbers are shocking, but they provide hope by showing the lengths our teams are willing to go to protect children,” said OPP Chief Superintendent Kari Dart, OPP Investigation and Support Bureau.
Videos
The 1,032 electronic devices seized may have been used to lure children or contain child pornographic images.
“Every image seized represents a child’s life endangered by someone at the other end of a computer screen,” said Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich.
The main goal of these investigations is to find and rescue child victims whose abuse so often goes undetected, added Peel Regional Police Det. Andrew Ullock, Internet Child and Exploitation Unit.
“Those who consume child pornography and/or seek out inappropriate online interactions with children are dangerous to children, full stop,” said Ullock.
“Child pornography consumption should never be confused as something that is a passive act, all the children in the images are real victims and all consumers of the material are indifferent to their suffering and abuse.”
In total, seven Mississauga residents and one Brampton resident were among the 107 people charged. The names of the Peel residents have not been revealed by police.
The charges are as follows:
- Man, 23, from Mississauga charged with possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, make available child pornography
- Man, 51, from Mississauga charged with two counts of accessing child pornography, and one count of making child pornography
- Man, 41, from Mississauga charged with accessing child pornography, possession of child pornography
- Man, 39, from Mississauga charged with two counts of possession of child pornography
- Man, 44 from Mississauga charged with possession of child pornography, make available child pornography
- Man, 61, from Mississauga, possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, and making child pornography
- Man, 18, from Brampton charged with possession of child pornography
- Man, 26 from Mississauga charged with possession of child pornography
The investigation was made possible through a provincial strategy from two ministries (Attorney General and Solicitor General).
There were 27 participating police agencies: Barrie, Belleville, Brantford, Chatham-Kent, Cornwall, Durham, Greater Sudbury, Guelph, Halton, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Niagara, North Bay, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Ottawa, Peel, Peterborough, Sarnia, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Timmins, Toronto, Waterloo, Windsor, Woodstock and York.
The OPP Digital Forensics, the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security also aided in the investigation.
The BOOST Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, the Children’s Aid Society and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection provided victims’ support and education.
The investigations continue and anyone with information on these or any child exploitation investigations should to contact their local police. Report any instances of online child abuse to police or cybertip.ca. If a child is being harmed, call 911.
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