Child sexual exploitation bust in northern Alberta nets 14 arrests

Police have charged 14Alberta menwithonline child sexual exploitation following a lengthy investigation.

The suspects, who rangein age from 26 to 61,live incommunities across northern Alberta. All werearrestedbetween June and October and together facea total of 33 charges.

Thereisnoconnectionbetweenthemen,asidefromtheoffencesthey werecharged with,Insp.DaveDubnyktold anews conference in Edmonton on Wednesday.

"Our forensic technicians are still examining the more than 250 computers, cellphones and electronic devices that were seized,"saidDubnyk ofthe Alberta LawEnforcementResponse Teams/

"To date, they have found up to 25,000photos and videos. Each of those photos represents a real world victim."

In the past six years, ALERT's Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit has seen a 75-per-centincrease in cases, Dubnyk said.

He said catching thesetypes of offenders is better left to professionalsthan to groupssuch as CreepCatchers, where vigilantesbaitsuspectsby posing online as underage peopleand filming theencounters.

"There's just so many components to it,"he said."Not just the matter of tracking these people down, and in some instances publicly shaming them.There's victim management, there's offender management. There's just so many parts to itthat I can't stress enough that this is work that should be left to professionals."

Lianna McDonald, executive director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, recommended people report suspected crimes to police.

"We do need to identify those offenders who are committing these terrible crimes against children," she said.

"But it's also important to note that those who are in possession of this type of content are the same people that we need to pay attention to and make sure that we are taking action in terms of reporting."