Crown attorneys to be hired to prosecute NS Internet child exploitation cases

The Nova Scotia government is hiring two Crown attorneys to prosecute Internet child exploitation cases.

Justice Minister Diana Whalen says the department is dedicating more resources to the issue due to a perceived rise in Internet child exploitation.

Funding for the positions comes through an increase of $192,000 for the Public Prosecution Service in the latest budget.

The new positions double the service’s complement of Crown attorneys dedicated to cybercrime prosecutions.

Whalen says they also fulfill a recommendation stemming from a review of the Rehtaeh Parsons case, which said there should be more Crown attorneys devoted to cybercrime.

The new attorneys are expected to be in place by the fall.