Eighteen men from across Alberta are facing child pornography charges after police received a record number of online child sexual exploitation reports this spring. ALERT's Internet Child Exploitation unit received 243 reported instances of online child exploitation in Alberta in March, far exceeding the unit's two-year average of roughly 110. Lakusta attributed the increase to predators taking advantage of children who are online more often while home from school during the COVID-19 pandemic. ALERT said there is no link between the suspects other than each was charged with at least one child pornography offence. The unit investigates offences involving child pornography, any computer-related child sexual abuse, child luring over the Internet, voyeurism involving victims under the age of 18, and child sex trade/tourism.

Source: CBC News June 26, 2020 18:11 UTC