Several Maritimers charged in Canada-wide child porn investigation

HALIFAX – Several people from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are among the more than 150 people arrested or under investigation as part of a national operation that targeted alleged child sex offenders.

The RCMP says five children were rescued since “Operation Snapshot III” began in February, including a 10-year-old child who was allegedly abused by a Moncton man related to him, who was one of the suspects charged by police.

Investigators say two of the children are from British Columbia, and the other two are from Ontario and Quebec.

MORE INFO: CyberTip.ca website for reporting online sexual exploitation of children

The sweeping investigation involved more than 40 police agencies.

The RCMP says more than a million images were seized, some involving infants.

Local RCMP report results of investigations

Over the course of the operation, 11 search warrants were executed in Nova Scotia, including five in the Halifax area by the RCMP-Halifax Regional Poilice Integrated Internet Child Exploitation Unit:

• Feb. 13, 2014 – Allan Street, Halifax – Robert William Aiden Harris, 46 – charged with of possessing, accessing, making available child pornography
• Feb. 28, 2014 – Westerwald Street, Halifax – Leonard Gerard MacNeil, 56 – charged with possessing, making available child pornography
• March 25, 2014 – Lakecrest Drive, Dartmouth – Brighton Spencer, 33 – charged with possessing, accessing, making available child pornography
• May 8, 2014 – Tenshire Court, Sackville – John Albert Marknette, 36 – charged with possessing, making available child pornography
• May 22, 2014 – Stoneybrook Court, Halifax – no charges laid, investigation is ongoing

The remaining six search warrants were executed across the province by the Nova Scotia RCMP Provincial Internet Child Exploitation Unit, Cape Breton Regional Police and Bridgewater Police Service:

• May 13, 2014 – Lynch Drive, Sydney River – Jeffrey MacFadgen, 23 – charged with possessing, making available child pornography
• May 13, 2014 – Victoria Road, Sydney – unidentified 36-year-old man – charged with possessing, making available child pornography
• May 14, 2014 – Hanway Road, Port Morien – Mark Edward Graham, 27 – charged with possessing, making available child pornography
• May 15, 2014 – Chalet Crescent, Brooklyn, Hants County – Taylor Jacob Robertson, 20 – charged with possessing, making available child pornography
• May 16, 2014 – Hilden – unidentified 21-year-old man – charged with possessing, making available child pornography
• May 27, 2014 – Bridgewater – unidentified 50-year-old-man – charged with possessing, making available child pornography

Search warrants were also executed as part of several investigations in New Brunswick:

• Jan. 24, 2014 – Bouctouche – Paul LeBlanc, 28 – charged with accessing, making available child pornography – due in court June 25
• Feb. 20, 2014 – Saint John – computer equipment seized – Mario Lucero, 35 – charged with possessing, making available child pornography – due in court July 28
• April 8, 2014 – Saint-Quentin – computer equipment seized – unidentified 35-year-old man – due in court July 10
• April 23, 2014 – Lakeville – computer equipment seized – no charges laid, investigation is ongoing
• May 8, 2014 – Moncton – five charges against 33-year-old man, who pleaded guilty to all charges – investigation also resulted in the rescue of a 10-year-old child who police say is a relative of the man – police allege child was the victim of abuse by the man charged – investigation is ongoing
• June 4, 2014 – Moncton and Riverview – two separate investigations connected to child sexual abuse images – unidentified 34-year-old man arrested – due in court at a later date

With files from The Canadian Press