Police outlined the details of the largest co-ordinated child porn investigation in Ontario history during a Tuesday morning press conference. Twenty-two people have been arrested in connection with the ambitious probe, which began in January and involved 25 search warrants in 16 communities across Ontario. A tota? of 73 criminal charges have been laid. Among those charged are a woman and a Young Offender.
"Today's successful announcement has taken weeks of legwork by dozens of members of the provincial strategy to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation," said O.P.P. Commissioner Julian Fantino. "The most fundamental responsibility of any society is to protect its children. Every child has a right to be nurtured and to be safe, and we as a society have a duty to ensure that that happens."
"Child pornography is the sexual abuse of children," he added. "A brutal crime committed by despicable predators.
"Every image of child pornography represents the irrefutable evidence of a child being brutalized and it's not just about impersonal, abstract images."
Fantino cited the increased use of the internet as a prevalent threat to young people, and urged further education on how to use the technology in a safe, responsible manner.
"It is appropriate that we are here today making this announcement on Safe Internet Day, a day recognized in 43 countries worldwide, a day designed to highlight the need to make the internet a safe and useful tool for our children to access for both educational and personal use.
"In far too many cases the misuse of the internet continues to pose a threat to children, parents and all law-abiding decent people in our society, including the police. The production and distribution of pornography, the luring of young people by pedophiles for their own deviant purposes and the proliferation of internet sites where pictures of just about every imaginable kind of abuse of children including infants can be accessed by anyone, is a major concern to police agencies worldwide."
News of the arrests came in tandem with the findings of startling study that revealed more than 15,000 people in Ontario actively use their computers to distribute child pornography.
The study discovered that in Canada, images involving child porn have been traced to more than 205,000 unique computer addresses.
In Ontario alone, more than 63,000 unique IP addresses have been linked to the illegal images.
Fantino closed out the emotional press conference by reminding all citizens of their duties to protect children. He also had a stern warning for perpetrators, and hinted that the courts needs to take a stronger stance against those who view, trade, or make child pornography.
"We all have a responsibility in this matter. If anyone comes across child pornography or suspects that a child is being abused in any way, they are morally and ethically obligated to report the abuse to the police.
"The provincial strategy will stop at nothing to hunt down child predators and eliminate the threat they pose to our children and our communities. Fair warning to pedophiles: You can run but you can't hide. And sooner or later, we will identify you. We will arrest you and we'll bring you to justice."
"Now, let's see what the courts do with these cases."
How To Protect Your Kids From Internet Predators
Charges are as follows:
- Jay Hutchinson, age 24, of Hamilton, 1 count of Make Available Child
Pornography, 1 count of Possession of Child Pornography, to appear in
provincial court at 45 Main St., Hamilton, Ontario on Feb. 12, 2008.
- Doug MacDonald, age 50, of Ottawa, 1 count of Possession of Child
Pornography, 1 count of Make Available Child Pornography, to appear
in provincial court at 161 Elgin St., Ottawa, Ontario on February 12,
2008.
- Edwin Morris, age 63, of Burlington, 1 count of Possession of Child
Pornography, 1 count of Access Child Pornography, 1 count Make
Available Child Pornography, to appear in provincial court at 491
Steeles Ave., Milton, Ontario on February 12, 2008.
- Michael E. Shipley, age 31, of Milton, Ontario, 1 count of Possession
of Child Pornography, 1 count of Access Child Pornography, 1 count
Make Available Child Pornography, to appear in provincial court at
491 Steeles Ave., Milton, Ontario on February 12, 2008.
- Thomas Webb, age 56, of Brantford, Ontario, 1 count of Possession of
Child Pornography, 1 count Make Available Child Pornography, to
appear in provincial court at 44 Queen Street, Brantford, Ontario on
February 12, 2008.
- Wendy Allison Potter, age 28, of Whitby, Ontario, 1 count of
Possession of Child Pornography, 1 count Make Available Child
Pornography, to appear in provincial court at 242 King St. E.,
Oshawa, Ontario on February 12, 2008.
- Harry James Aseltine, age 57, of Oshawa, Ontario, 1 count of
Possession of Child Pornography, 1 count Make Available Child
Pornography, 1 count of Possession of a Controlled Substance, to
appear in provincial court at 242 King St. E., Oshawa, Ontario on
February 12, 2008.
- Michael Cherry, age 37, of London, Ontario, 4 counts of Possession of
Child Pornography, 3 counts of Making Available Child Pornography, to
appear in provincial court at 80 Dundas St., London, Ontario on
February 12, 2008.
- Nathan Armstrong, age, 27, of Peterborough, Ontario, 2 counts of
Possession of Child Pornography, 1 count Make Available Child
Pornography, to appear in provincial court in Peterborough, Ontario
on February, 12, 2008.
- Matthew McDougall, age 20, of Red Lake, Ontario, 2 counts of
Possession of Child Pornography, 1 count of Making Available Child
Pornography, to appear in provincial court at 115 Howey St., Red
Lake, Ontario on February 12, 2008.
- Matthew Brunton, age 22, of Cornwall, Ontario, 1 count of Possession
of Child Pornography, 1 count of Access Child Pornography, appeared
for bail hearing at provincial court, 29 Second St. E., Cornwall,
Ontario on February 11, 2008.
- Guilio Carere, age 46, of Guelph, Ontario, 1 count of Possession of
Child Pornography, 1 count Make Available Child Pornography, 1 count
of Possession of a Controlled Substance, appeared for bail hearing in
provincial court at 36 Wyndham St. S., Guelph, Ontario on
February 11, 2008.
- Keith Kamenz, age 29, of Guelph, Ontario, 1 count of Possession of
Child Pornography, 1 count Make Available Child Pornography, appeared
for bail hearing at provincial court, 36 Wyndham St. S., Guelph,
Ontario on February 11, 2008.
- Lawrence Bouillon, age 44, of Espanola, Ontario, 2 counts Possession
of Child Pornography, 1 count Make Available Child Pornography, 1
count Access Child Pornography, 1 count Possession of a controlled
substance, to appear in provincial court at 155 Elm Street, Sudbury,
Ontario on February 12, 2008.
- Eric Brown, age 25, of Brampton, Ontario, 1 count Possession of Child
Pornography, 1 count of Make Available Child Pornography, 1 count of
Access Child Pornography, to appear in provincial court at 7755
Hurontario St., Brampton, Ontario on February 12, 2008.
- Michael Avison, age 33, of Mississauga, Ontario, 1 count Possession
of Child Pornography, 1 count of Make Available Child Pornography, 1
? count of Access Child Pornography, to appear in provincial court at
7755 Hurontario St., Brampton, Ontario on February 12, 2008.
- Stephen Burritt, age 39, of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 1 count of
Possession of Child Pornography, 1 count Make Available Child
Pornography, 1 count of Distribution of Child Pornography, 1 count of
Possession of Child Pornography For The Purpose Of Distribution, 5
counts of Unsafe Storage of Firearm, 1 count of Unsafe Storage of
Ammunition, 1 count of Knowingly Posess A Prohibited Firearm Without
Authorization, 1 count of Possession of Prohibited Firearm.
- Karl Herman, age 64, of Cambridge, Ontario, 1 count of Possession of
Child Pornography, 1 count of Make Available Child Pornography, to
appear in provincial court at 200, Frederick St., Kitchener, Ontario
on Feb. 12, 2008.
- Glenn Albert Laurin, age 45, of Toronto, Ontario, 1 count of
Possession of Child Pornography, 1 count of Make Available Child
Pornography, to appear in provincial court tomorrow for bail hearing
on February 11, 2008 in provincial court at 444 Yonge St., Toronto,
Ontario.
- Leonard Legros, age 60, of Ottawa, Ontario, 1 count of Possession of
Child Pornography, 1 count of Making Available Child Pornography, to
appear in provincial court at 161 Elgin St., Ottawa, Ontario, on Feb.
12, 2008.
- One young offender from Hamilton, Ontario who cannot be named under
the Youth Criminal Justice Act has also been charged with 1 count of
Possession of Child Pornography.
Additional arrests are pending and the investigation is continuing.
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