By David F. Rooney
Two Revelstoke residents were among the 150 people arrested as part of the RCMP’s national child pornography sweep, Staff-Sgt. Kurt Grabinsky said Friday, June 20.
I will be able to provide more information upon disclosure being complete. Suffice to say both males were arrested due to efforts by the Integrated Child Exploitation unit’s tech teams locating subjects possessing and trading in child pornography,” he told The Current.
“The Revelstoke Detachment was then provided this information, and we reviewed it and then obtained and executed warrants on both males’ residences. One male was also charged with further sexual offences. Both had various computers, laptops, tablets and external drive devices seized.”
He said both men have already appeared in court and will continue to appear for court dates in the future.
“Both have been released with strict conditions, such as not going near places where children are, specific distances from parks and facilities, as well as other conditions,” he said “We of course have a special interest in their behaviour and will be monitoring their movements occasionally to ensure compliance with their court-ordered conditions.”
The two men remain under investigation. Grabinsky did not name them.
Five pre-pubescent children from across Canada were rescued during the Mounties’ national investigation and more than 150 people were arrested or investigated as part of the operation that began in February. Almost two million images and videos, some involving infants, were seized, the Mounties said. Police have laid 343 charges.
The investigation targeted child sex offenders who collect, possess, share, make available, distribute and produce child pornography online, police said.
“I cannot stress enough what these images are and what they are not,” RCMP Sgt. Michael Petrilli told a news conference in Halifax. “These images are not simply children having a bubble bath. They are clearly children that are in a situation where they are being sexually assaulted.”
Investigators say two of the rescued children are from BC while the other three are from Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. They were all prepubescent victims of sexual assault or a similar offence, police said.
