Four people have been charged with child pornography and luring offences in an OPP investigation which stretched throughout southern Ontario.
Between Sept. 11 and Sept. 13, officers from the OPP digital forensics unit, Wellington County OPP, Huron County OPP and Collingwood OPP detachments carried out five warrants which led to arrests in Elora, Exeter, Clinton and Collingwood.
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In a statement, the OPP said that exploitation of children on the internet remains a growing concern.
“Every photograph is sexual abuse of a real child. It is not just a photo. Every time that photo is seen on the internet, the child is victimized again,” OPP Insp. Tina Chalk said.
Joseph James Downey, 43, of Elora and Michael James Cole, 25, of Collingwood were charged with making available and possession of child pornography.
Philip Corboy, 61, of Exeter, was charged with making available and possession of pornography.
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A 17-year-old male from Clinton has also been charged with luring a person under 16 years of age, sending sexually explicit material to a person under 16 years of age, indecent exposure to a person under 16 years of age and failing to comply with a youth court sentence or disposition.
OPP said the investigation continues and more charges could be pending from a fifth search warrant.