CBC Manitoba staff win CAJ award for story about website used by child sex predators

Four CBC Manitoba staff received an award in the broadcast under five minute category at the 2022 Canadian Association of Journalists awards gala on Saturday.

Caroline Barghout, investigative reporter for CBC Manitoba's I-Team, Kristin Annable, a reporter with Winnipeg's investigative unit, Amber Hildebrandt, digital senior producer at CBC Manitoba, and Melanie Verhaeghe, managing editor at CBC Manitoba, were recognized at the gala in Vancouver for their investigative work on a story about how child sex predators use the website Omegle to prey on children.

WATCH | What CBC found on Omegle:

What CBC found on Omegle

2 years ago

Duration 2:01

WARNING: This story contains disturbing details about child sex crimes and graphic sexual content. A CBC reporter spent an hour on the website, identifying herself as a journalist and speaking to Omegle users. Critics say the website matches children with adults and is a safe haven for child sex predators.

Jennifer Francis, a reporter with CBC Indigenous based in Saskatchewan, was also recognized for her work, winning the emerging Indigenous journalist award.

Steve Silcox, senior designer on Winnipeg's graphics team, was nominated in the community written category for the forensic animation he worked on for CBC Prince Edward Island's investigative story, "Shot in the Dark: The Death of Jeremy Stephens."

Four more CBC staff – Tyson Koschik, Jeff Stapleton, Sam Samson and Karen Pauls – were also finalists in the daily excellence category for a story about a search on James Smith Cree Nation last September, called "Saskatchewan Manhunt."

CBC received a total of 10 awards and 21 nominations in the 18 CAJ categories.

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