VAUGHAN, Ont. - Police from 24 different jurisdictions have laid over 200 charges in what investigators are calling Ontario's largest child pornography crackdown.
Seventy-five search warrants were executed leading to
60 people being arrested and charged.
At a news conference in Vaughan, Ont., Ontario Provincial Police said there may be more arrests made in the future.
The charges include: sexual assault, child luring, possession of child pornography, make available child pornography, distribution of child pornography, making child pornography and accessing child pornography.
Twenty-two victims have been identified during the investigation by the
"Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and
Exploitation on the Internet."
"Every child has the right to be nurtured and the right to be safe. Child pornography is the sexual abuse of children. Every image of child pornography represents a child victim. Every trading or transmission of that image represents a re-victimization of that child," said Scott Tod, acting commissioner of the OPP.
There have been over 16,000 investigations by the Provincial Strategy partners and the OPP Child Sexual Exploitation Unit from August 2006 to Feb. 1, 2012. During that time, 5,837 charges have been laid against 1,867 people.
"Turning the spotlight on child sexual exploitation on the Internet helps us help children, teens, and parents educate themselves to ensure their Internet experience through games or social networking sites can be as rewarding as they want it to be and as safe as it needs to be. Because every child matters -- everywhere," said OPP Insp. Scott Naylor.