Child pornography investigation leads to arrests in Cambridge & UK

Waterloo Regional Police have provided an update on the completion of a child pornography investigation by their Cybercrime – Internet Child Exploitation Unit, that lead to the arrest of three individuals. 

According to police, that investigation began in August after receiving a report from the National Child Exploitation Centre regarding a person possessing and making child pornography available to other individuals. 

Two months later on October 12, regional police arrested a 39-year-old Cambridge woman during a search warrant at a residence in that city. As a result of their investigation, that Cambridge woman was charged with the following offences. 

• Making Child Pornography
• Making Available Child Pornography
• Possession of Child Pornography (two counts)
• Making an Agreement to Commit Sexual Offence Against a Child (two counts)

That woman was held in custody for a bail hearing. 

Following that arrest, police said investigators began an investigation into two men, one located in Cambridge and another in the United Kingdom. 

On October 14, a 33-year-old man was arrested by Bedfordshire Police in the U.K. and charged with a number of child-exploitation related offences including:

• Taking Indecent Photographs
• Distributing Indecent Images
• Sexual Activity with a Female Child Family Member Under the Age of 13
• Sexual Activity with a Male Child Family Member Under the Age of 13
• Intentional Encourage/Assist in Commission of an Offence and Publish Obscene Article. 

Nearly two weeks after that arrest, members of our local police service's Cybercrime – Internet Child Exploitation Unit arrested a 38-year-old man from Cambridge and charged him with the following offences:

• Possession of Child Pornography
• Making Child Pornography
• Making Available Child Pornography
• Making Agreement to Commit a Sexual Offence Against a Child (three counts)

As a result of that investigation, regional police said four children were rescued from sexual exploitation in Waterloo Region and in the United Kingdom. 

On Wednesday, the same 39-year-old Cambridge woman was arrested and charged with additional offences including:

• Sexual assault
• Sexual interference
• Distribute child pornography
• Parent or guardian procuring sexual activity
• Make child pornography (two counts)
• Agree and/or arrange to commit a sexual offence against a child (four counts)

Regional police note that they remain a member of the Ontario Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet. The arrests made above are said to be a part of Project Maverick, an ongoing effort among policing partners in Ontario.