"The most fundamental responsibility of our society is to protect our children"

"The most fundamental responsibility of our society is to protect our children," OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino said today. (Feb. 5, 2009)

Police say accused abused infants, toddlers, schoolchildren in largest bust in Ontario's history

U.S. studies show 30 per cent to 80 per cent of collectors of child sexual abuse images are hands-on abusers," the information package said. "Studies also indicate that these abusers have anywhere from 13 to 30 child victims each."

Searing images of the sexual abuse of infants, toddlers and schoolchildren from across Ontario make up the evidence in the largest child pornography bust in Ontario history, police say.

The cross-Ontario raids freed a 4-year-old Ottawa boy and 12-year-old Burlington girl this week, but police said they fear there are plenty of other children still suffering from sexual abuse and exploitation on the Internet.


"For those children waiting to be rescued, we are looking for you," Inspector Andrew Stewart of the Ontario Provincial Police said. "Tell someone."

His comments came yesterday at a news conference as officers from 18 Ontario forces announced the arrests of 31 men and boys charged with child pornography and sexual abuse and exploitation on the Internet.

Ages of the 31 accused range from 14 to 60.

Ninety-three charges have been laid, and police said they expect more as the investigations continue.

Police declined to release any information about the two rescued children.

Many of the accused were relatives or neighbours of their alleged victims, police say. Some of their alleged victims were literally out of the cradle.

"The most fundamental responsibility of our society is to protect our children," Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Julian Fantino said.

Charges laid this week range from sexual assault to possession of child pornography, some of which feature the rape of children on video.

"Such cases include images of penetrative sexual activity between adults and very young children and infants, sexual bondage of children, bestiality and increasingly `live' web-cam streaming of real-time abuse of infants and children," according to information released by police at the news conference.

U.S. studies show 30 per cent to 80 per cent of collectors of child sexual abuse images are hands-on abusers," the information package said. "Studies also indicate that these abusers have anywhere from 13 to 30 child victims each."

Images of Internet pornography are so revolting that officers fighting it take yearly counselling, said Det. Staff-Sgt. Frank Goldschmidt of the OPP.

Fantino said the arrests were a response to the Ontario government's creation in August 2006 of a provincial strategy to combat child pornography. Since then, there have been 4,782 investigations and 1,983 charges against 634 people.

Some of the people trafficking porn images are child molesters, while others are organized criminals, police said.

"There's money to be made here," Fantino said.

But police said studies show 19 of 20 cases of child sexual abuse in Canada likely go undetected.

Fantino used the news conference to push for a cross-Canada sexual abuse registry.

"The Internet knows no boundaries," he said.

Ontario Provincial Police have arrested 31 people in a provincewide child pornography investigation. A list of their names and the charges they face:

• Matthew Bates, 23, of Guelph, Ont.; possession of child pornography, make available child pornography.
• Terrence Blatchley, 44, of Niagara Falls, Ont.; possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, make available child pornography.
• John Burnes, 20, of Kingston, Ont.; possession of child pornography, make available child pornography.
• Mark Caron, 38, of Wasaga Beach, Ont.; two counts of possession of child pornography, make available child pornography.
• Christopher Clausen, 37, of London, Ont.; two counts of possession of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography.
• Michael DiMatteo, 18, of London, Ont.; three counts of possession of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography, making child pornography.
• Nathan Engler, 33, of Ottawa; possession of child pornography, distribute child pornography.
• Scott Ersman, 18, of Welland, Ont.; possession of child pornography.
• Alex Fiaoni, 33, of Woodbridge, Ont., possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography.
• Paul Freestone, 43, of Palmerston, Ont.; possession of child pornography, make available child pornography, possession of narcotic for the purpose of trafficking (methamphetamine).
• Chad Groves, 24, of Richmond Hill, Ont.; possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography.
• Nicola Ierullo, 46, of London, Ont.; two counts of possession of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography, possession of a controlled substance.
• Karl James, 57, of Guelph, Ont.; possession of child pornography, make available for distribution, making child pornography.
• Kevin Kuzmich, 34, of Thunder Bay, Ont.; possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography.
• Perry Maeckler, 47, of Windsor, Ont.; possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography.
• Colin Mitchell, 52, of Brantford, Ont.; possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, breach of probation.
• Kevin Nisbet, 42, of London, Ont.; four counts of possession of child pornography, three counts of distribution of child pornography.
• Adam Rizewiski, 27, of Ottawa; possession of child pornography, make available child pornography, possession of contraband cigarettes (Tobacco Excise Act).
• Martin Rowe, 42, of Matheson, Ont.; possession of a controlled substance, two counts possession of child pornography, make available child pornography.
• John Norman Sled, 60, of Hamilton; possession of child pornography, make available child pornography.
• Michael Sproule, 36, of Mississauga, Ont.; possession of child pornography, access child pornography, make available child pornography.
• Vladimir Tchemissov, 52, of Toronto; possession of child pornography, make available child pornography.
• Alessandro Vece, 40, of Toronto; two counts of possession of child pornography, two counts of making available child pornography.
• Dane Raymond Wilson, 40, Elmira, Ont., possession of child pornography, making available child pornography, accessing child pornography.
• A 53-year-old man from Burlington, Ont. (name withheld to protect identity of victim); sexual assault, sexual interference, possession of child pornography, making available child pornography.
• A 53-year-old man from Ottawa (name withheld to protect indentity of victim); two counts of possession of child pornography, two counts of distributing child pornography, making child pornography.
• A man from Sudbury, Ont.; two counts of possession of child pornography, making available child pornography.
• A youth from Mississauga, Ont.; possession of child pornography, access child pornography, making available child pornography.
• A youth from Oshawa, Ont.; possession of child pornography, make available child pornography.
• A youth from Sudbury, Ont.; possession of a controlled substance.
• A youth from Windsor, Ont.; possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography.

"For those children waiting to be rescued, we are looking for you"

"Tell someone."