Joint investigation between London, Ont. and London, U.K. police leads to child porn, luring and extortion charges

(Source: London Police Service)

A 22-year-old man from London, Ont. is facing multiple serious criminal charges including child pornography, extortion and luring after he allegedly uploaded child porn images to a social media platform, and then entered into an online relationship with a teenaged girl in the U.K.

According to a press release from the London Police Service (LPS), police in London entered into an investigation earlier this year after they received information from a social media platform that a London man had allegedly uploaded suspected child porn images to the social media platform, where the images were publicly available.

As the investigation continued, LPS then learned from the Metropolitan police in the U.K. that the same male suspect was communicating online with a teen girl who lived in the U.K.

Police say the same man, aware of the girl’s age, entered into a romantic relationship through the social media platform. Sexual images and videos were shared, and the male suspect allegedly threatened to release the videos and images if the girl did not send more.

Police also say the man made physical threats of harm to the girl.

On June 17, members of the LPS Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit, with assistance from the LPS Digital Forensic Unit, executed a search warrant at a residence on Dudley Crescent.

On Oct. 27, a 22-year-old man from London was arrested, and in connection to the two reported incidents has been charged with the following offences:

• Two (2) counts of unlawfully possess child pornography
• Unlawfully access child pornography
• Import/sell/distribute, etc. child pornography
• Print/publish/possess to publish child pornography
• Luring a person under 18 years of age by means of telecommunication
• Transmits sexually explicit material to a person under 18 years of age
• Extortion
• Uttering threats of death or bodily harm

The accused has been released from custody and is expected to appear in London court on Dec. 7 in connection to the charges.

Anyone with information in relation to this investigation is asked to London Police Service at [phone] or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).