OPP Det.-Sgt. Tim Brown. /OPP YouTube screenshot
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say 36 people are facing a combined total of 128 criminal offences after a “proactive child sexual exploitation investigation.”
The multi-agency “luring investigation” brought together police services from across Ontario through the “Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet” (Provincial Internet Child Exploitation Strategy).
That was OPP Det.-Sgt. Tim Brown, who added: “It did not take long.”
Among those arrested, Brown said one of the accused was listed on the National Sex Offender Registry – and one individual arrived allegedly arrived at a meeting location with “sexual paraphernalia.” OPP said another individual arrived with “snacks.”
“These results highlight a sobering reality: Predators can easily reach children in online spaces,” explained Brown. “We urge parents and guardians to remain vigilant and to talk to your children about staying safe online …”
The investigation reportedly ran from March 31 to April 11, 2025. Investigators said they utilized undercover techniques to access online chatrooms and social media applications in order to identify, locate and arrest persons looking to sexually exploit children.
According to investigators, all the of accused are male with ages ranging from 18 to 73.
And although this was a luring investigation – meaning officers posed as children online and waited for offenders to make contact – Brown noted several victims were identified, and OPP’s work isn’t done.
“They have been provided support and are safe,” added OPP, of the victims found during this investigation.
A detailed list of charges is accessible online – some of the accused cannot be named due to publication bans. The accused include Ottawa, Pickering, Hamilton, London, Burlington, West Lincoln, Niagara Falls, Mississauga, Toronto, Abbotsford, B.C., Vaughan, Belleville, Barrie, Chatham, Hensall, Ayton, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Hamilton, Kitchener and Brampton residents.
The Provincial Internet Child Exploitation Strategy is comprised of OPP’s child sexual exploitation unit, 26 municipal police services – including nearby Belleville, Durham and Peterborough services – the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Ministry of the Solicitor General.
Police partners through the strategy have noted a significant rise in reports of online child sexual exploitation and child sexual abuse material in recent years. Police continue to call on parents and guardians to “help us help kids stay safe.”
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection online has more resources on how to help keep kids safe.
Investigators continue to urge anyone with information relating to child sexual exploitation to contact police or report it via cybertip.ca.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
