A major operation targeting child luring in Ontario resulted in the arrest of 33 men, including seven from the Waterloo Region.
The Ontario Provincial Police announced that Project Series was a joint effort involving multiple police services, conducted online over five days from February 9 to 13.
An OPP statement noted, “Police used investigative techniques to access online chatrooms and social media applications to identify, locate and arrest persons looking to sexually exploit children.”
According to their report, Project Series led to a total of 136 charges being filed.
Out of the 33 accused individuals, four are from Cambridge, two are from Kitchener, and one is from Baden.
Additionally, there is one man accused from Stratford.
The most frequently charged offenses include luring someone under 16 and invitation to sexual touching.
Charges also include possession or creation of sexually explicit material and making it available to a child.
One man from Cambridge, identified only as a 40-year-old, is also facing charges for assault with a weapon and assaulting police officers.
The accused individuals from Waterloo Region and Stratford range in age from 27 to 52 years old; however, the OPP mentioned that the youngest person facing charges in Project Series is just 16 years old.
The OPP reported that this initiative caught two repeat offenders.
They also identified six young victims who have since received support and are safe.
570 News Radio has contacted the OPP and the Waterloo Regional Police Service for more information regarding the local accused individuals.
However, the OPP stated that “Some of the accused cannot be identified due to a publication ban.”
The WRPS appears briefly in an OPP video about Project Series.
The OPP reminds everyone that anyone with information about child sexual exploitation should reach out to their local police or report it at cybertip. ca.
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