Police child porn operation nets 28 arrests in Quebec
Operation Mainmise was led by Sûreté du Québec between June and October 2013
Quebec provincial police have arrested 28 men on various sexual exploitation charges including possession, distribution and production of child pornography.
The Sûreté Quebec led Operation Mainmise between June and October 2013 with the cooperation of local police forces from across Quebec. The arrests took place between Nov. 18-21 across the province.
Officers from the Montreal, Quebec City, Gatineau, Laval, Longueuil, Saguenay, Sherbrooke, Lévis, Trois-Rivières, Terrebonne, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Saint-Jérôme police forces assisted in the operation.
The SQ revealed its findings at a news conference this morning at its Montreal headquarters.
Only one victim has been identified so far in this investigation — a five-year-old boy — but police said there could be up to 40 victims.
Since the creation of a dedicated internet child pornography unit in 2003, the SQ has arrested 250 people in Quebec.
Police says there is no link so far between the suspects, since there is no evidence the men shared the same online files. However, the SQ said investigators are working on leads that may connect the suspects.
The men who were arrested range in age from 21 to 68 years of age, and come from different backgrounds and occupations, some of which involve working with children.
