WATCH ABOVE: Eight Alberta men are accused of sharing a vast collection of images involving children being sexually abused. Global’s Tracy Nagai report.
Calgary – Eight Albertans are facing child sexual exploitation charges following a seven month-long investigation by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT).
Officers found 100,000 photos and videos of child sexual abuse on 85 computers and electronic devices that were seized between September 2014 and March 2015.
The operation focused on high-level targets that were sharing and distributing vast collections of child sexual exploitation photos and videos across a variety of peer-to-peer file trading networks.
Investigators say some of the victims in the photos are estimated to be as young as six-months-old and depict extreme sexual abuse.
The accused range in age from age 27 to 60-years-old and have been charged with several offences including possessing, accessing, and making available child pornography.
Those charged include:
- Marc Sicotte, 33, of Chipman
- Colin Penner, 60, of Sherwood Park
- Luis Bexiga, 37, of Calgary
- Daniel Clarke-Ferr, 47, of Calgary
- Brad Drummond, 33, of Calgary
- Michael Hilles, 40, of Calgary
- Eduardo Ramirez, 46, of Calgary
- Keith Vittie, 27, of Calgary
None of the accused are considered to be in positions of public trust and/or authority.
Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact police or cybertip.ca.
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