A four-day child exploitation investigation resulted in 10 arrests and 39 criminal offences being laid, including two Sudbury residents, aged 37 and 30.
During what they called Project Limestone, officers posed as underage children online to identify, locate and arrest people looking to sexually exploit children.
“The public should know how quickly predators engage with your children online,” OPP Det.-Sgt. Timothy Brown said in a video released by the organization.
“In one case, it took only an hour and a half from the time a suspect engaged with an undercover officer posing as a child online to where they arrived to meet with the undercover investigator posing as a child.”
A team of 10 investigators from various police departments in Ontario, including Greater Sudbury Police Service, took part in the investigation.
Six suspects were arrested when they reportedly showed up to a pre-set location to meet with investigators posing as children online, two were arrested while showing up for meetings with investigators posing as mothers with young children.
Some suspects arrived with candy, toys and sexual paraphernalia, and one of the suspects is a repeat offender who was out on bail at the time of their arrest.
In the wake of these arrests, the OPP released a video in which Brown cautions, “There are people actively trying to lure your children,” and to visit the Canadian Centre for Child Protection website to learn more about how to keep children safe.
10 individuals charged with 39 offences following a multi-jurisdictional online luring investigation, Project Limestone. Some of the arrested arrived with toys, candy and sexual paraphernalia. #OPP D/S/Sgt. Brown explains the case below. pic.twitter.com/QIEhhKlaib
— Ontario Provincial Police (@OPP_News) November 2, 2023
The arrests and associated charges include:
A 49-year-old North Bay resident (released with bail conditions)
- Luring a Person under 16
- Sending Sexually Explicit Material to a Child
- Possessing Child Pornography x2
- Distributing Child Pornography
A 37-year-old Sudbury resident (released with bail conditions)
- Making Child Pornography
- Arranging to Commit Sexual Offence Against a Child
- Counseling to Commit Sexual Offence Against a Child
- Counseling to Commit Sexual Interference Against a Child
A 30-year-old Sudbury resident (released with bail conditions)
- Making Child Pornography
- Arranging to Commit Sexual Offence Against a Child
A 65-year-old Sault Ste. Marie resident (spoken to by police, to appear in court)
- Arranging to Commit Sexual Offence Against a Child
- Counseling to Commit Sexual Offence Against a Child
- Making Child Pornography x2
A 67-year-old Fergus resident (held for bail)
- Arranging to Commit Sexual Offence Against a Child x2
- Failing to Comply with Release
A 31-year-old Vaughan resident (released with bail conditions)
- Luring a Person under 16 for Sexual Interference x2
- Luring a Person under 16 for Sexual Assault x2
- Luring a Person under 16 for Invitation to Sexual Touching
A 43-year-old Massachusetts resident (under investigation)
- Sexual Assault
- Incest
- Making Written Child Pornography
- Counseling Another Person to Commit Indictable Offence
A 29-year-old Vaughan resident (released with bail conditions)
- Luring a Person under 16 for Sexual Assault
- Luring a Person under 16 for Invitation to Sexual Touching
- Luring a Person under 16 for Sexual Interference
A 52-year-old Whitby resident (released with bail conditions)
- Luring a Person under 16 for Invitation to Sexual Touching
- Making Available Pornography to Person under 16
A 25-year-old Markham resident (released with bail conditions)
- Luring a Person under 16 for Making Child Pornography
- Luring a Person under 16 for Sexual Interference x2
- Luring a Person under 16 for Invitation to Sexual Touching
- Luring a Person under 16 for Sexual Assault x2
- Making Written Child Pornography