A province-wide investigation into online child pornography has resulted in 16 people in southwestern Ontario facing charges.

The Ontario Provincial Police, working with local law enforcement officials, charged a total of 122 people as a result of a coordinated campaign during the month of November.

• 122 charged in child pornography investigations across Ontario last month

Charges include sexual assault, sexual interference, possession of child pornography and making sexually explicit material available to a child.

In this region, seven people from London were charged, two were from Chatham, and one each from Windsor, Sarnia, Owen Sound, Woodstock, Listowel, Exeter, and Strathroy.

The charges were announced at a media briefing in Vaughan.

"It is our fundamental and moral responsibility to ensure every child grows up safe," said Deputy Commissioner Rick Barnum of the OPP's investigations and support bureau.

"On behalf of the OPP, I want to make this message very clear: We will not stand for anyone hurting our kids. We will do everything we can to reduce the threat child predators pose to our children."

Image | map of child porn bust

Caption: A map of investigations and charges by the OPP, part of a strategy to protect children from sexual exploitation online. (Supplied)

Load Image

Police said 55 victims were identified during their investigation. The victims have been offered support, according to the OPP.

Officers also said they seized 17 firearms, three of which were loaded handguns.

"Perpetrators of online sexual exploitation often minimize their actions by saying they were 'just looking.' Let me be clear: Anyone who possesses, distributes, accesses or otherwise supports the supply and demand chain for child sexual abuse images are complicit in the sexual exploitation of children," said Staff Sgt. Sharon Hanlon, coordinator of the provincial strategy to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation on the Internet.

More charges are pending, police said.