An investigation by a total of 27 Police Agencies led to several charges for many individuals for child sexual exploitation.
Project ICE investigations began on February 19th of this year and ended on February 29th, with investigators identifying and arresting those involved in making, possessing and distributing disturbing child sexual material.
Two people from Kingston was charged in the investigation.
The identified victims were provided victim support, and impacted children were safeguarded.
As a result of Project Aquatic:
- 34 victims were identified
- 30 children were safeguarded
- 64 people were charged
- 348 charges were laid
- 607 electronic devices were seized
Notably, during the investigation, one individual set up a meeting with undercover investigators intending to meet with a child in real life for a sexual purpose. Another individual was in possession of approximately 21 terabytes of data containing child sexual abuse material.
During the media event, a human-sized graphic displayed an iceberg, showing the 129 investigations completed during Project Aquatic and the 8,638 investigations completed in 2023 above the surface. In addition, 82,082 investigations were completed between 2006 and 2023 by the Provincial ICE Strategy’s 27 police services, representing the bottom of the iceberg beneath the water. Within that period, 29,025 charges were laid against 7,493 people. These completed investigations demonstrate the scope of the issue regarding child sexual abuse material, which remains a pervasive safety issue that is often unseen by many members of the public.