A Brighton man is among 17 people arrested and charged during a proactive child sexual exploitation initiative dubbed Project Brace.
Fifteen police services participating in the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet, in partnership with the OPP Child Sexual Exploitation Unit (CSEU), conducted online child exploitation investigations to identify and apprehend those who prey on children.
Investigators targeted individuals making, possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material.
Twenty-five-year-old Geoffrey Fantaske of Brighton faces five charges:
• Possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material – two counts
• Make available child sexual abuse and exploitation material
• Assault peace officer
• Weapons for a dangerous purpose
He has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Brighton on November 28.
Two Kingston men were also charged.
Chris Foster, 41, is charged with:
• Possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material – two counts
• Accessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material
• Make available child sexual abuse and exploitation material
He was held in custody with a court appearance scheduled for Tuesday in Kingston.
Forty-nine-year-old Matthew Doucette is charged with:
• Possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material
• Accessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material
• Make available child sexual abuse and exploitation material
He was released from custody with a future court date.
In all, 55 charges were laid against the 17 individuals charged and 424 electronic devices seized.
Police say while this investigation did not directly identify any victims, investigators initiated 23 cases that remain active.
Members of the Provincial Strategy recognize that law enforcement cannot combat these crimes alone. Parents, educators, child advocacy organizations, government and technology providers are essential in keeping children safe.
The Provincial Strategy police partners have noted a significant rise in reports of online child sexual exploitation and child sexual abuse material in recent years. To learn how to keep children safe, visit Canadian Centre for Child Protection.
“Online offenders are increasingly leveraging digital technologies to access and exploit children and youth. Through social media, gaming platforms, messaging applications, and peer-to-peer networks, they use deceptive tactics to groom victims, distribute child sexual abuse material, and evade detection. Combating these crimes requires vigilance, education, and collective action from families, communities, industry partners, and law enforcement.”
– OPP Detective Staff Sergeant Tara Clark, Provincial Strategy Coordinator
Anyone with any information related to child sexual exploitation should contact their local police or report it to cybertip.ca.
About the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet (PROVINCIAL STRATEGY)
Provincial Strategy coordinates law enforcement partners across Ontario to combat the sexual abuse and exploitation of children on the internet. Strategy partners share information, resources and investigative techniques and collaborate on investigations to help protect children and identify those responsible for exploiting them.
Provincial Strategy is comprised of the Ontario Provincial Police Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, 25 municipal police services, the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Ministry of the Solicitor General. The Provincial Strategy provides a unique, provincially-coordinated effort recognizing regional needs and issues, as well as the challenges associated with geographically dispersed victims throughout Ontario.
The Provincial Strategy’s 25 participating municipal police agencies include:
· Barrie Police Service
· Belleville Police Service
· Brantford Police Service
· Chatham-Kent Police Service
· Cornwall Police Service
· Durham Regional Police Service
· Greater Sudbury Police Service
· Guelph Police Service
· Halton Regional Police Service
· Hamilton Police Service
· Kingston Police
· London Police Service
· Niagara Regional Police Service
· North Bay Police Service
· Ottawa Police Service
· Peel Regional Police
· Peterborough Police Service
· Sault Ste. Marie Police Service
· Thunder Bay Police Service
· Timmins Police Service
· Toronto Police Service
· Waterloo Regional Police Service
· Windsor Police Service
· Woodstock Police Service
· York Regional Police
