107 people charged with child exploitation

Police have charged 107 people and identified 121 child victims and potential victims during Project Maverick, part of the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet.

During the month of October, 27 policing partners conducted 255 investigations, executed 168 search warrants and seized 1,032 devices. In total, 428 charges were laid against 107 people, including one unidentified Collingwood man charged with three counts of invitation to sexual touching. 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.

Since the Provincial Strategy began in 2006, it has completed 65,564 investigations and laid 24,608 charges against 6,540 people. A total of 3,470 victims have been identified worldwide.

Report instances of online child abuse to police or cybertip.ca. If a child is being harmed, call 911.