Edmonton man charged in connection with international child exploitation operation: ALERT

A 36-year-old man from Edmonton with ties to Operation Stream, an international child sexual exploitation operation, was arrested by ALERT’s internet child exploitation (ICE) unit last month.

In January, ICE received information from the National Child Exploitation Crime Centre (NCECC) as well as Bavarian State Criminal Police in Germany and Europol that a man from Edmonton had access to an online streaming service to one of the largest platforms in the world for sharing child sex abuse materials, said ALERT in a news release Wednesday.

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On March 10, with help from Edmonton police officers, ICE executed a search warrant at a home in southeast Edmonton.

A smartphone and desktop computer were some of the electronic devices that were seized.

ALERT said a full forensic analysis is still ongoing.

“While many people believe they can hide in these corners of the dark web, the online world is not anonymous. Law enforcement continues to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of online criminal behaviour. Successes like this are fuelled by dedicated investigators working with partners around the world to protect the children that have been victimized in the production of this material,” said ALERT ICE Det. Erik Bjarnason in the news release.

The 36-year-old man was charged with possessing child pornography, accessing child pornography and distributing child pornography.

“Investigations of this magnitude highlight the global efforts to stop these crimes against children. We’re proud to join our international partners in the ongoing fight against child sexual exploitation,” said ALERT ICE acting Insp. Mark Auger.

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The man was released from custody with several court-imposed conditions in place. His next scheduled court appearance is April 14.

ALERT said more than 35 countries participated in the operation, which led investigators to identify nearly 1,400 suspects. So far, 79 suspects have been arrested.

Though German and Dutch investigators were able to seize the website, ALERT said the investigation remains ongoing.

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