Hamilton police have arrested five men on child pornography charges amid a crackdown on people sharing exploitative material during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Police launched the four-week project, called Project Frost Byte v3.0, in April, targeting individuals who were accessing and sharing child sexual abuse material while people were isolating at home and spending more time online.
Between April 6 and 31, police say officers executed eight search warrants across Hamilton and seized 62 computers and electronic devices containing more than 8,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse and exploitative material.
The investigation has led to charges being laid against five men between the ages of 18 and 41.
Charges include possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, making child pornography available, distribution of child pornography and criminal harassment.
None of the accused know each other, and each case is a separate investigation.