Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) yesterday announced the arrest of five men in a child pornography ring.
They also identified at least seven victims, said a media release.
“Over the past three weeks, the DRPS Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE) conducted a series of search warrants in Newcastle, Oshawa and Oakville as a part of an investigation into repeat child pornography offenders,” said the release.
These search warrants were in relation to investigations of possession, distribution, and making of child pornography. They also involved the extortion and luring of children over the internet, it added.
As a result of the investigation and search warrants, police have arrested and charged three adults and two young offenders.
William Springgay, age 60, of Oshawa, is charged with: Accessing Child Pornography (x20), Possession of Child Pornography (x14), Distributing Child Pornography (x4), Making Child Pornography (x7) and Breach of Probation.
Bruce Rowe, age 51, of Oshawa, is charged with Possession of Child Pornography and Accessing Child Pornography.
Matthew Tavares, age 20, of Oakville, is charged with: Extortion; Possession of Child Pornography; Accessing Child Pornography and Luring a Person Under 18 years of Age.
Two other search warrants were executed in Oshawa and Newcastle with two young offenders being charged with child pornography offences.
As a result of these investigations, police have identified seven victims of these offences, DRPS said.
It acknowledged the assistance of Toronto Police Service, Halton Regional Police, Probation and Parole, and the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet.
This project was made possible by a grant from the Ministry of the Solicitor General.
Anyone with new information is asked to contact the ICE Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5529.