Ontario police arrest 63 in online child exploitation case

A major, coordinated police investigation across Ontario has resulted in 63 arrests and 213 criminal charges related to online child sexual exploitation. The operation, known as Project Time, was announced this week and involved the Ontario Provincial Police and 25 municipal police services.

The initiative identified and safeguarded 51 victims, according to police. Investigators also seized 814 electronic devices. The operation included 264 criminal investigations, with 154 of those still ongoing. Authorities noted that two of the accused were in positions of trust and authority within their communities, and eight were repeat offenders.

Project Time was conducted under the Provincial Internet Child Exploitation Strategy, a partnership aimed at combating what police describe as a significant rise in reports of online child sexual exploitation and child mistreatment material in recent years.

Arrests were made in numerous communities across the province. In the Waterloo region, police arrested four men from Kitchener, Cambridge, and Waterloo, who collectively face 22 charges. One man from Guelph was also charged. Due to court-issued publication bans, most of those accused locally...