Ontario police have arrested 36 men from around the province after an investigation into online child exploitation.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say the men were arrested following an online operation where police posed as children on various platforms and waited for someone to make contact.
“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,” OPP said.
The accused range in age from 18 to 73 years old, and police have laid a total of 128 charges against them.
The majority of the charges are luring a person under 16, making sexually explicit material available to a child, and possession of or making available child pornography.
The investigation lasted about 12 days, OPP said, running from March 31 to April 11.
“These results highlight a sobering reality: predators can easily reach children in online spaces,” said Detective Staff Sergeant Tim Brown of the Provincial Internet Child Exploitation Strategy.
During the investigation, police said they identified nine real victims who have been provided support and are safe.
One of the men arrested was on the National Sex Offender Registry, police said.
During the investigation, one of the accused arrived at the meeting location with snacks, while another brought sexual paraphernalia.
OPP said there are still 51 investigations going on as part of the operation.
Officers from 21 police agencies were involved as part of the Provincial Internet Child Exploitation Strategy.
“The Provincial Internet Child Exploitation Strategy and police partners have noted a significant rise in reports of online child sexual exploitation and child sexual abuse material in recent years,” OPP said.
The statistic was shared by Cybertip.ca, the national tip line for reporting sexual exploitation of children. It’s operated by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (CCCP). It said that a total of 27,429 reports were processed in 2023, about 75 reports a day.
Ontario had the most number of complaints with 6,710 reports. B.C. saw 2,003 reports, followed by Quebec with 1,557. About 8,600 reports were made from international sources.
“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,” Brown said.
The Provincial Internet Child Exploitation Strategy is made up of the OPP Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, 26 municipal police services, the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Ministry of the Solicitor General.
