A man from Kingston is facing two charges for luring someone under the age of 16 after a wide-ranging investigation across the province.
Justin Scott, who is 38 years old, was one of the 33 people arrested and charged with a total of 136 criminal offenses as part of an initiative aimed at preventing child sexual exploitation called “Project Series”.
As stated in a news release, 23 police departments worked together on this provincial effort to keep children safe from online sexual abuse and exploitation. The Ontario Provincial Police Child Sexual Exploitation Unit partnered with these services to conduct online investigations between February 9 and February 13.
Police reported that they used various techniques to access online chat rooms and social media platforms to find and arrest individuals attempting to exploit children sexually.
The investigation found that all those accused were male, aged between 16 and 67 years, with two having prior offenses.
Six young victims were identified during the operation, all of whom received support and are currently safe.
One individual who was arrested arrived at a meeting spot carrying items meant for committing offenses against children, including personal lubricants and other materials.
There are still thirty-six ongoing investigations related to this case.
“These findings underscore the serious risk posed to children in our communities, including the potential for harm when offenders seek to transition from online communication to in-person contact,” said the OPP in a supplied statement. They also noted an alarming increase in reports regarding online child sexual exploitation and abuse over recent years.
“A child’s safety should never end at the screen. Just as we protect them in our homes, schools and communities, we must also protect the digital spaces where children spend so much of their lives. Every child deserves a digital world as safe as the one we fight to give them offline. Protecting children online is not optional – it is a shared responsibility that demands awareness, action and concern from us all,” said Detective Staff Sergeant Tara Clark, who leads the provincial internet child exploitation strategy with the OPP in a supplied statement.
Anyone with information about child sexual exploitation should reach out to their local police or report it through cybertip. ca.
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