17 People Charged With Combined 55 Criminal Offences In Child Sexual Exploitation Initiative Dubbed Project Brace

ONTARIO- Police say 17 people have been arrested and charged with a combined 55 criminal offences during a proactive child sexual exploitation initiative dubbed Project Brace.

“Online offenders are increasingly leveraging digital technologies to access and exploit children and youth. Through social media, gaming platforms, messaging applications, and peer-to-peer networks, they use deceptive tactics to groom victims, distribute child sexual abuse material, and evade detection. Combating these crimes requires vigilance, education, and collective action from families, communities, industry partners, and law enforcement.” said – OPP Detective Staff Sergeant Tara Clark, Provincial Strategy Coordinator.

15 police services participating in the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet (Provincial Strategy), in partnership with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Child Sexual Exploitation Unit (CSEU), conducted online child exploitation investigations to identify and apprehend those who prey on children. Investigators targeted individuals making, possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material.

Project Brace results include:

·        17 individuals arrested

·        55 charges were laid

·        424 electronic devices seized

The accused are from Toronto, Brighton, Whitby, Smiths Falls, Kingston and more and range in age from, 25-56 years.

While this investigation did not directly identify any victims, investigators initiated 23 cases that remain active according to police.

Provincial Strategy police partners have noted a significant rise in reports of online child sexual exploitation and child sexual abuse material in recent years. To learn how to keep children safe, visit Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

Anyone with any information related to child sexual exploitation should contact their local police or report it to cybertip.ca.

The Provincial Strategy coordinates law enforcement partners across Ontario to combat the sexual abuse and exploitation of children on the Internet. Strategy partners share information, resources and investigative techniques and collaborate on investigations to help protect children and identify those responsible for exploiting them.