Londoners among 31 charged in largest child-porn sweep in ...

TheStar.com - Ontario - Children rescued in 'largest' child porn busthttp://www.thestar.com/printArticle/5828431 of 1 2/6/2009 7:14 AMChildren rescued in 'largest' child porn bustFebruary 05, 2009PETER EDWARDSSTAFF REPORTERA four-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl wererescued from sexual abuse during what police saidwas the largest child pornography bust in Ontariohistory.Police announced the arrests of 31 people, whoface a total of 93 charges, at a press conferencethis morning.Those charged include a 14-year-old, who can't benamed under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, anda 60-year-old. The charges range from sexualassault to possession of child pornography.More charges are pending, police said.PETER EDWARDS/TORONTO STAR"The most fundamental responsibility of our society is to protect our children," OPPCommissioner Julian Fantino said today. (Feb. 5, 2009)The suspects are all men, and many were relatives or neighbours of victims, police said."The most fundamental responsibility of our society is to protect our children," Ontario Provincial PoliceCommissioner Julian Fantino said this morning."The Internet continues to pose a threat to children, parents and certainly we feel challenged in ourability to keep up, to keep pace, with the pervasive use being made of it by those who seek to victimizechildren," he said.Police from 18 services from across the province were represented at the press conference. The arrestswere a response to the creation of a provincial strategy to combat child pornography.Many sexual offenders trade crime pornography images like sports fans might swap baseball cards,police said.Despite the high numbers, police said studies show they suspect that 19 of 20 cases of child sexualabuse in Canada go undetected.Since the strategy was put into place by the provincial government in August 2006, there have been4,782 investigations, leading to 1,983 charges against 634 people.Fantino used the press conference to push for a cross-Canada sexual abuse registry to help people fightthe victimization of children by child pornography on the Internet."The Internet knows no boundaries," Fantino said.With files from The Canadian Press