Seven from Waterloo Region, Guelph area, charged in large-scale child exploitation bust
Seven Waterloo Region and Guelph area men were arrested as part of Project Aquatic, an OPP-led investigation into child exploitation and abuse on the internet.
The 10-day investigation, from Feb. 19 to Feb. 29 — involving Waterloo Regional and Guelph police services — saw investigators identify and arrest suspects in relation to making, possessing, and distributing child sexual abuse material.
In a Wednesday media conference, OPP stated of the 64 people charged across the province as part of Project Aquatic, with 348 total offences against 34 victims. Four of the people charged were from Waterloo Region, while two were from Guelph and one from Fergus.
Thirty of the victims were safeguarded.
Within Waterloo Region, three men from Cambridge are facing charges — ages 20, 18 and 56 — and a Kitchener man, 31.
The 20-year-old was charged with possession of child pornography and make available child pornography, while the 18-year-old was charged with possession of child pornography. Both were released from custody and have court dates on May 14.
The 56-year-old was charged with possession of child pornography, make available child pornography and three counts of breach of probation. He is still in custody and has a court date on May 30.
Waterloo Regional Police Sgt. Brian Duyn said the 56-year-old in Cambridge was on parole for the same type of offences in London, and when they search his home, they found he was in breach of his statutory release and taken back into custody to serve the remainder of his original sentence. Now, he is facing more charges.
The Kitchener man has been charged with four counts of possession of child pornography, three counts of distribution of child pornography, making child pornography, luring a person under-16, two counts of making sexually explicit material to a child, sexual interference, sex assault and criminal harassment. He is in custody and set to appear in court Thursday.
Duyn said the case with the Kitchener man unfolded at the same time as local police’s investigation, with investigators looking at him for “hands on” offences of a child.
Having the four arrests in one week is a huge caseload for Waterloo Regional Police, Duyn said.
“Our unit is only four investigators, plus some for technical support, but for us to do four in one week is a big job for us, but it really is a drop in the bucket for what we’re dealing with. We currently have 351 cases in our queue that come directly to us from the RCMP to investigate, It’s sort of never ending work, but it’s good to have four warrants and for arrests.”
From Guelph and area, a 20-yearold and 55-year-old from Guelph have both been charged with possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, and distribution of child pornography. Both were released from custody, with the 20-year-old to appear in court Friday and the 55-year-old to appear in court May 14.
The man from Fergus, 64, was charged with five counts of luring a person under 16 and two counts of making sexually explicit material available. He was released from custody and is scheduled for a court appearance on May 31.
As part of the province-wide investigation, 607 electronic devices were seized. OPP stated in one case, an individual was in possession of 21 terabytes of data containing child sexual abuse material.