Five GTA men nabbed in nationwide child-porn probe

At least five GTA men have been arrested in a Canada-wide child pornography investigation that netted 57 suspects.

“No longer can we doubt that we have a growing problem in this country surrounding the sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children,” said Lianna McDonald, director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. “Today’s announcement really underscores the need for Canadians to wake up and recognize that this growing problem is affecting all of our children.’’

In the largest ever co-ordinated investigation into Internet-facilitated child sexual abuse in the country, police agencies across Canada laid more than 100 criminal charges.

In Toronto, Victor John Lacey, 20, was charged with accessing child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography, and 21-year-old Nicholas Bentley was charged with possession of child pornography and making child pornography available to others, as well as two counts of contravention of storage regulations made under the Firearms Act.

A third man, George Manuel Da Silva, 44, was charged with possession of child pornography. A fourth search warrant was also issued, but police are still investigating that individual who has not yet been identified. Peel police also said today that Derek Vanophyen, 37, of Mississauga, and Brandon Standing, 28, of Brampton, have both been charged with possession of child pornography and making child pornography available and accessing child pornography.

Detective Seargent Kimberly Scanlan of the Toronto Police sex crimes unit said the Toronto men are not connected in any apparent way and police are still investigating whether any had access to children through their work or their personal lives.

The victims in the child pornography possessed by the three men have not been identified, but Det. Sgt. Scanlan said they could be from anywhere in the world. “There are no borders to [child pornography]. People exchange it and trade it all over the world.”

Nationally, police also seized over 130 computers, dozens of computer hard drives, and “thousands and thousands of computer storage devices and discs,” investigators said.

The National Child Exploitation Co-ordination Centre, which holds the national mandate for co-ordinating these investigations, spearheaded the operation in conjunction with its policing partners in cities and provinces across the country.

Ms. McDonald said the Canadian Centre for Child Protection operates a tip line at cybertip.ca to receive reports of online child sexual exploitation.

“We’ve received over 30,000 reports from Canadians,” Ms. McDonald said. “Of those confirmed reports of child pornography, 80% pertain to children under the age of eight years old. These are not teens, these are not adolescents exploring. These are very, very young children.”

The investigation focused on users who would meet other like-minded individuals and exchange images in different online environments.

Ms. McDonald said 35% to 40% of those reports received were sexual acts and assaults committed against the children in the images.