Operation Icebreaker leads to arrest of 16 Albertans during ongoing child porn investigation

Extended: 16 charged in child porn investigation ALERT's ICE team updates Operation Icebreaker resulting in 16 arrests & seizure of 28 terabytes of data including illicit images and videos.

Members of police detachments across southern Alberta collaborated on a three month investigation into child pornography access that resulted in numerous arrests and the seizure of hundreds of computers and electronic devices.

Beginning in April, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team’s (ALERT) internet child exploitation team targeted suspects who allegedly accessed child pornography. As a result of the ongoing investigation, 15 men and one teenager were arrested and charged including 11 suspects from Calgary, two from Airdrie, two from Red Deer and one from Strathmore. The accused are identified below.

“People believe that they’re anonymous on the internet,” said CPS Superintendent Cliff O'Brien. “If we band together as a community to protect our children, it’s only a matter of time before the police are knocking on a predator’s door and saving a child from further victimization.”

Officers executed search warrants at 25 undisclosed locations between April 5 and June 1 resulting in the seizure of 510 computers and electronic devices containing a total of 28 terabytes of data.

Investigators have scoured through more than 160 of the devices and examined approximately 19 million images. Nearly 7,000 of the images and videos have been identified as child pornography including images of infants.

“They’re difficult to watch and get through,” said Det. Sean Spence, a CPS member assigned to ALERT’s ICE team. “They are children that are being sexually assaulted upon. Offenders that are engaged in this kind of behaviour and are observing and watching these videos are getting sexual gratification from the rape and immense pain that is inflicted upon the child."

To date, police have identified and rescued two victims of luring in connection with the investigation.

At this time, the 16 suspects face a combined 56 charges related to child pornography. ALERT’s investigation into the matter continues and additional charges and arrests have not been ruled out.

Anyone with information regarding child exploitation offences is asked to contact police.

“If anybody suspects child exploitation is taking place in your communities, please do not be silent about it,” said Insp. Dave Dubnyk of ALERT’s ICE unit. “Make a report to the local police agency in your community or through cybertip.ca or, if you prefer anonymously, through Crime Stoppers.”

Operation Icebreaker Charges (ALERT) by CTV Calgary on Scribd