Online child sex abuse investigation leads to 348 charges for 64 people across Ontario
Published May 8, 2024 at 12:00 pm
More than five dozen people face a combined 348 charges after numerous police investigations across Ontario into the making, possessing and distributing of online child sexual abuse material identified 34 young victims.
An OPP-led umbrella operation, dubbed Project Aquatic, resulted in “staggering numbers in online child exploitation arrests,” police said at a press conference Wednesday morning in Scarborough.
More than two dozen law enforcement agencies across the province, including Peel, Halton and Durham regional police forces, combined their efforts in conducting 129 separate investigations between Feb. 19 and 29.
The large-scale effort included at least one police undercover operation that involved a person who’s alleged to have attempted to set up a “real-life meeting” for “a sexual purpose” with one of the victims, investigators said.
The 64 people arrested and charged “range from teenagers right up to senior citizens,” including an 89-year-old Toronto man, and are from “across the province and from every walk of life,” said OPP Det.-Staff Sgt. Tim Brown, lead investigator with the provincial Internet Child Exploitation unit.
Two 16-year-old boys, one from Toronto and the other from Windsor, are among those facing charges as is a 17-year-old male youth of Brampton.
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OPP Det.-Staff Sgt. Tim Brown, lead investigator with the provincial Internet Child Exploitation unit, speaks to reporters at a press conference Wednesday morning in Scarborough.
Of those charged, 13 are from Toronto, several each from Oakville, Windsor and Cambridge, two from Brampton and Oshawa in addition to others from Burlington, Milton, many reaches of Ontario including Thunder Bay, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, and one man from Alberta.
They face a wide range of child pornography, luring and other charges.
Police added 607 electronic devices were also seized as part of the sweeping investigation.
In addition to the 34 victims, all under the age of 18, police said they “safeguarded” another 30 children and/or teens, meaning they were identified as being in a potentially harmful online situation before being alerted to the danger by investigators.
The victims have been provided with support services, police noted.
It’s a “pervasive safety issue”
OPP said in addition to the one undercover operation, another person facing charges was in possession of about 21 terabytes (21,000 gigabytes) of data containing child sexual abuse material.
Police added the making and distributing of child sexual abuse material “remains a pervasive safety issue” that often goes unseen by many people.
They said parents must be vigilant in knowing what their children are doing while online — whether on their laptops, home computers or phones.
“Child sexual exploitation is a grave crime with lasting effects,” said Brown. “We’re dedicated to prevention and accountability. We need everyone’s support to combat this community issue. If you see something, report it. Together, we can create a safer environment for all children, ensuring their well-being and protection.”
Signy Arnason, associate executive director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said when a child is being sexually abused, “technology is likely being used” to facilitate the ongoing harm.
“Survivors of child sexual abuse material have repeatedly said how important it is to get the images and videos of their abuse off the internet,” Arnason said at the press conference. “Our agency sends more than 20,000 removal notices to hosting providers every day. In addition to the critical efforts of police, you can help protect a victim by reporting to Cybertip.ca if you are concerned about someone’s online interaction with children.”
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