Palmerston, Ont. man arrested in child sexual exploitation investigation: OPP

Wellington County OPP say a Palmerston, Ont., man is facing charges in connection with a child sexual exploitation investigation.

Officers carried out a search warrant on Wednesday in the small town about 60 kilometres north of Guelph after receiving tips from authorities in the United States.

OPP laid 12 charges against 24-year-old Samuel Tremblay, including three counts of luring a child, two counts of distributing child pornography and two counts of indecent exposure to a child under the age of 16.

“This exemplifies the borderless nature of this type of sexual exploitation,” said Det. Const. Tara Clark of the OPP’s Child Sexual Exploitation Unit.

“Offenders that feel safe reaching out to children across the internet should be on notice — you very well may be next.”

Other charges include extortion and criminal harassment and OPP said they collected digital devices during the search warrant for further examination.

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The accused remains in custody and is scheduled for a bail hearing in Guelph.

Anyone with information into the investigation is asked to contact investigators at 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips can be left with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Parents are also being reminded to take a proactive approach to help protect their own children online. More information and resources can be found online.