A Kingston man faces 76 charges related to child exploitation, assault, and human trafficking following a joint investigation between OPP and Kingston Police.
The investigation, coined Project Shamrock, began in January 2022 when local police were made aware of an individual luring victims through social media platforms.
Multiple parties began investigating including the Provincial Human Trafficking Intelligence-led Joint Forces Strategy (IJFS) from the Kingston Police, Ottawa Police Service, Peterborough Police Service and the OPP Digital Forensics.
OPP say, initially, ten victims were identified and provided with aid through a victim services agency, and they are now in safety.
Police then identified other victims, leading to further charges.
The investigation was supported by Kingston Victim Services and the OPP IJFS Victim Specialist (of the OPP Victim-Centred Approach Team).
OPP laid 76 charges on the 38-year-old, which are as follows:
- Sexual assault, sec. 271(1) - eighteen counts
- Unlawfully access child pornography, sec. 163.1 (4.1) - five counts
- Obtaining sexual services for consideration, sec. 286.1 (1) - four counts
- Forcible confinement, sec. 279 (2) - four counts
- Assault, sec. 266 - three counts
- Harassment by watching and besetting, sec. 264 (2)(c)
- Overcome resistance to offence/attempt to choke, sec. 246 (a) - three counts
- Criminal harassment by communication, sec. 264 (2)(b)
- Sexual assault with choking, sec. 272 (1) (c.1) - four counts
- Uttering threats/death or bodily harm, sec. 264.1 (1) (a) - four counts
- Compulsions to commit bestiality, sec. 160 (2)
- Mischief under $5000, sec. 430 (4)
- Invitation to sexual touching, sec. 152 - two counts
- Sexual interference, sec. 151; - two counts
- Procuring/person under 18 years, sec. 286.3 (2)
- Trafficking of a person under 18 years, sec. 279.11 (1)
- Obtaining sexual services for consideration under 18, sec. 286.1 (2) - four counts
- Overcome resistance to commit sexual assault, sec. 246 (a)
- Sexual assault cause bodily harm sec. 272 (1)(c)
- Luring for Invitation to Sexual Touching sec. 151
- Luring for Making Child Pornography sec. 172.1 (1)(b)
- Aggravated sexual assault, sec. 273 (2)(b) - two counts
- Make child pornography, sec. 163.1 (2) - two counts
- Make available child pornography, sec. 163.1(3) - two counts
- Possess child pornography, sec. 163.1 (4) - three counts
- Extortion, sec. 346 (1.1)(b); two counts
- Assault with a weapon, sec. 267 (a)
- Voyeurism, sec. 162 (1)
The accused is being held in custody.
Police suspect there are other victims, and are urging anyone with any additional information to contact the OPP non-emergency number at 1-888-310-1122 or their local police.
If you or someone you know may be a victim of these crimes, call 9-1-1 immediately.
The Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-833-900-1010. Human trafficking resources are available at canadiancentretoendhumantrafficking.ca.
Feature image - file photo - Barrie 360
