Man pleads guilty to porn charges

A Saskatoon man has pleaded guilty to 40 child porn-related charges.

Philip Chicoine, who is 27, was accused of making, accessing, processing and distributing child porn.

The Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit said in March that the investigation began in early February after child pornography was uploaded to a social media account that Chicoine operated.

Police believe he arranged video access and facilitated livestreamed child pornography with help from female suspects in the Philippines and Romania.

They also said Chicoine was communicating with children and women in the Philippines and paying them for livestreamed sexual abuse of children and for previously recorded abuse material.

He was also trading child abuse material with other people in North America through social media, police alleged.

Police in the Philippines are still investigating.

Suspects in Romania have been arrested and charged, and authorities in the country confirm the children involved are safe, according to the Saskatchewan ICE Unit.

An additional 23 charges laid against Chicoine are expected to be withdrawn at the conclusion of sentencing.

A sentencing hearing has been set for June 19.