Dozens of suspects, including two from London, charged in sexual abuse investigations in Ontario
Ontario Provincial Police say they have laid hundreds of charges against 64 people, including two from London, in a series of investigations into child sexual abuse.
Police say the investigations were carried out over 10 days in February and led to the arrest of dozens of suspects accused of making, possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material.
Investigators say the 64 people have been charged with a total of 348 offences, and more than 600 devices have been seized.
A 52 year old and a 40 year old, both from London, a 33 year old from Chatham and three people from Windsor ages 16, 23 and 29, have all been charged.
“In this instance we had two males who were located and arrested, both with jobs. There’s no outward signs of it. It’s not until our investigators do the hard work figuring out where the breadcrumbs on the internet lead us to,” said Det. Sgt Jason Eddy of London Police Service. “Then the warrants and the seizure of devices help us support the charges we’re going to lay.”
The suspects range in age from ages 16 to 67.
Police allege one of the people charged was in possession of 21 terabytes of data containing child sexual abuse material.
“But what really validates all this hard work is finding a child, rescuing a child, and holding an offender to account. That’s what the big payoff is every time. You saw from the provincial strategy media conference that this is what drives us to keep going despite any obstacles and despite how hard it might be,” added Eddy.
They say 34 victims have been identified and 30 children safeguarded.
— With files from CTV News London's Bryan Bicknell and The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Drive one of these vehicles? You may pay 37 per cent more than average insurance costs due to thefts
As the number of auto theft incidents rises in Canada, so have insurance premiums for drivers, even the ones whose vehicles aren't stolen.
'I'm not wealthy': Ontario senior shocked she owes $40,000 in capital gains after gifting land
An Ontario senior who wanted to help her daughter and grandson eventually own homes one day decided to give them two lots on her property as a gift—but she didn’t know it would eventually cost her tens of thousands of dollars.
NDP want Liberals to scrap proposed election date change that could secure pensions for many MPs
The federal New Democrats want to amend the Liberal government's electoral reform legislation to scrap the proposal to push back the vote by a week and consequently secure pensions for dozens of MPs, CTV News has learned.
Supreme Court won't hear appeal in Montreal brainwashing experiments case
The Supreme Court of Canada will not review a Quebec ruling that bars people from suing the U.S. government in Canada over its role in notorious brainwashing experiments at a Montreal psychiatric hospital.
Video shows driver in Toronto frantically getting out of car being pushed by truck
A CP24 camera caught the moment a driver frantically got out of her car as it was being dragged by a truck on Avenue Road Wednesday afternoon.
These are the world's 20 best cities for foodies, according to Time Out
Some travellers pick a city break based on the destination’s cultural offerings. Others eye up cities with buzzy nightlife or opt for a destination hosting a festival or event. But for many vacationers, the most exciting part of any trip is the food.
Israeli centrist party proposes vote to dissolve parliament
Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz's centrist party proposed on Thursday holding a parliamentary vote on dissolving the parliament, but it was unclear whether he had enough support to bring about an early election.
Exorbitant fees get Gazans out with no help from Ottawa
The comforting sound of giggling grandchildren has chased away the cloud of anxiety that has loomed over Mohammed and Intisar Nofal's home for the past seven months.
Largest vaccine production plant in Canada opens in Toronto
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is announcing the opening of a major vaccine production plant in Toronto today — part of Canada's efforts to build up the domestic biomanufacturing sector in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.