Regina – October 17, 2012 –The RCMP’s Canadian Police Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (CPCMEC) announced the results of its multi-agency investigative operation targeting online child predators. As part of Operation Snapshot, one child was rescued in addition to 30 investigations with charges that include: Indecent Exposure, Invitation to Sexual Touching, Accessing Child Pornography, Possession of Child Pornography, Distribution of Child Pornography, Making Child Pornography, Internet luring, and Breach of Court Order.
Over 100 computers and hard drives were seized along with hundreds of thousands of images.
CPCMEC, which holds the national mandate for coordinating these investigations, developed the operation in conjunction with its domestic policing partners in the Prairie Region as well as Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
Policing partners on Operation Snapshot include: Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) northern and southern ICE teams, Saskatchewan ICE unit, Saskatoon Police Service, Regina Police Service, Prince Albert Police Service, F Division RCMP (Saskatchewan), Winnipeg Police Service, D Division RCMP (Manitoba), G Division RCMP (Northwest Territories) and V Division RCMP (Nunavut Territory)
“I am very proud of the professionalism and quality of service of the men and women on this team” said Commissioner Bob Paulson. “These types of investigations are very demanding and stressful for the officers involved, but through this operation we are sending a clear message to individuals who are engaged in this exploitive and destructive behaviour: we will find you and prosecute you.”
Operation Snapshot which began in June had one main priority: identify high-risk offenders that are in possession of and distributing child abuse images across peer- to- peer file sharing networks and to charge these individuals.
Internet-facilitated child sexual abuse crosses many jurisdictions and requires police partners to work together to find links that identify perpetrators and lead to arrests and charges.
“The world has changed and we are constantly adapting to today’s realities,” said Commissioner Paulson. “No single agency can deal with this crime by itself. This effort provides a concrete example of what can be accomplished through collaboration to protect the most vulnerable members of our society: our children.”
For additional information on CPCMEC, please visit: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cpcmec-ccpede/index-eng.htm
