Seventeen people have been arrested and face a total of 55 charges following an online child sexual exploitation investigation involving Ontario Provincial Police and 15 other police services, Global News reports.

The OPP announced the results of Project Brace on Monday, Nov. 9. Police said the operation targeted people making, possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material as part of a provincial strategy to protect children from online abuse and exploitation.

Officers seized 424 electronic devices. Although the investigation did not directly identify any victims, police said it initiated 23 cases that remain active.

In a news release quoted by Global News, OPP Det.-Staff Sgt. Tara Clark said offenders use social media, gaming platforms, messaging applications and peer-to-peer networks to groom children, distribute abuse material and evade detection.

“Combating these crimes requires vigilance, education, and collective action from families, communities, industry partners, and law enforcement,” Clark said.

Police asked anyone with information about child sexual exploitation to contact their local police service or report it to cybertip.ca.

Sources