Local child porn arrests not related, police say
Three arrests were made over an eight-day span earlier this month by Niagara Regional Police
Child pornography is a growing concern in the region and the rest of the country, says Niagara Regional Police media relations officer Const. Phil Gavin.
“We have seen that the proliferation of child pornography and internet child exploitation is present in Niagara and throughout Canada,” said Gavin when asked about the issue after three local arrests were made recently in an eightday span.
On May 14, 35-year-old Alexander John Smith from Fort Erie was arrested on three charges.
Joseph Franklin Crawford, 35, from Port Colborne, was arrested May 20 on 10 child pornography-related charges that he will answer to in court on July 29.
Two days later, 19-year-old Nicholas
Raymond Leroux of St. Catharines was arrested on child pornography-related charges.
Gavin said these three cases are not connected, nor are they part of the same investigation.
“None of the arrests are related to each other, other than by the nature of the offences,” said Gavin.
“It is ultimately the culmination of a few investigations coincidentally happening around the same time,” he added.
Gavin said “there is always more internet child exploitation cases” when asked about ongoing investigations.
But as more platforms for illegal activity seem to be available, Gavin said police’s ability to investigate these matters has also heightened.
“As technology improves so does our ability to identify, locate, arrest and prosecute those responsible for making it, or sharing it. We are also at times able to identify and help those who are being victimized,” said Gavin.
These investigations are not easily or swiftly, Gavin explained.
“They must be done properly so that they will stand up to the pressures of the court process,” he said.
The tools used by the Technological Crimes Unit for onscene assessment and analysis allow the Internet Child Exploitation investigators “certainty that evidence exists on scene to validate the arrest,” said Gavin.
Both units work closely with one another.
“These detectives have the technical skills to gain access to the hardware and software that is found during these investigations,” said Gavin, adding the tools used can be costly and that police are “always researching new and improved products, that are always thorough, lawful and precise.”
Gavin also said people often believe they won’t get caught.
“While many believe the internet can provide them anonymity to do what they want, the valuable work of our ICE detectives shows that if you access, traffic or make child pornography you can be located, identified, arrested and charged,” he said.
On Saturday, Niagara resident William O’sullivan, who has been open in the media about abuse he suffered at the hands of Catholic priest Donald Grecco between the ages of nine and 12 at St. Kevin’s Church in Welland, organized a small group of people to gather in Port Colborne.
He and two others were standing in front of a home on the city’s east side where it’s believed 35-year-old Crawford has been living since he was released on bail Thursday.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, O’sullivan could be seen each Sunday protesting the Catholic Church along Niagara Street.
As someone who has experienced such traumatic events, he is concerned that child pornography and exploitation is on the rise.
“It turns my stomach. It makes me sick,” he said.
O’sullivan said the NRP attended his “awareness” event but did not tell them to leave the area.
The NRP did not respond to an inquiry about this event on the weekend.
A publication ban in the Crawford matter prohibits the NRP from providing evidentiary details, said Gavin.