Barrie man, 55, arrested in child exploitation case

A blurred computer screen is pictured in this file image.

A 55-year-old man is facing charges in connection with an internet child exploitation investigation in Barrie.

The Barrie Police Service Internet Child Exploitation Unit arrested the accused earlier this month and conducted a search of a home in the city’s northwest area, after investigators received a report from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children about the distribution of child pornography through the social media site KIK.

Officers seized several computer devices that were sent for analysis. Police say forensics revealed the images that had been flagged in the report, resulting in charges against the accused, including accessing child pornography and possessing child pornography.

The suspect was held in custody following his arrest but has since been released, according to police.