A 21-year-old Barrie man is facing three charges connected to child sexual abuse material after a four-month investigation by Barrie Police.
Barrie Police said the man was arrested on Oct. 15 by the service's Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit and charged with possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material, accessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material, and distributing child sexual abuse and exploitation material.
The accused is a Barrie resident. He has not been named by police in the media release announcing the charges.
How the investigation began
According to Barrie Police, the investigation began after the ICE Unit received reports from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, a U.S.-based organization, concerning the distribution of child sexual abuse and exploitation material through the social media platforms Discord and X, formerly known as Twitter.
Police said those reports pointed investigators toward a Barrie address. On June 3, officers executed a search warrant at a Barrie residence and seized several computer devices belonging to the accused.
The devices were sent for forensic analysis and categorization, police said. That examination led to the discovery of hundreds of files of child sexual abuse and exploitation material, according to the release.
Funded through provincial grant
The ICE Unit's work on the case was supported by a grant from the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General, Barrie Police said.
Police urge parents to talk to children about online safety
Along with announcing the charges, Barrie Police used the release to urge parents and caregivers to speak regularly with their children about their online activity and the people they interact with.
Police emphasized that people children meet online may not always be who they claim to be, and encouraged children to speak with a trusted adult if someone online makes them feel uncomfortable or makes inappropriate requests or demands.
"Protecting children from predators is a shared responsibility that starts with awareness," the police release stated.
Barrie Police have posted additional tips on staying safe on social media at barriepolice.ca/safety.
The charges have not been tested in court. No court dates or further details about the accused were released.
