A Stratford man and a man from St. Marys have both been charged following online child exploitation investigations.
According to the OPP, an arrest warrant was executed on December 4 in Stratford following a lengthy online investigation. The investigation involved the OPP Child Sexual Exploitation Unit (CSEU), with the assistance of OPP Digital Forensics and Perth County OPP.
The warrant execution led to the arrest of 53-year-old Robert Duncan Wood. He faces several charges, including luring a child to facilitate invitation to sexual touching, luring a child to facilitate sexual interference, luring a child to facilitate sexual assault, and luring a child to facilitate child pornography.
The accused has been released from custody following a bail hearing and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Stratford on January 13, 2025 to answer to the charges.
The OPP also announced on Tuesday that 22-year-old Brendan Joseph Rinn of St. Marys was arrested and charged following a separate investigation into online child sexual exploitation.
OPP officers executed a search warrant at a residence in St. Marys on December 5 and a number of electronic devices were seized by police.
As a result of that search warrant execution, Rinn is now facing charges including non-consensual distribution of an intimate image, making child pornography, and making available child pornography.
The accused was released from custody and also has a court date on January 13, 2025 before the Ontario Court of Justice in Stratford to answer to the charges.
"Protecting children from sexual exploitation is paramount. It's critical that members of law enforcement and the communities they serve work together to educate our children about safe internet practices, while actively working to identify individuals who seek to cause harm. Through collective efforts, we can foster an online environment where children are safe to explore, learn, and grow," stated Detective Staff Sergeant Chris Barkey of the OPP CSEU.
Parents are reminded to take a proactive approach to help protect their children from online sexual exploitation by speaking with their children regarding internet safety. Parents can find resources to assist them at cybertip.ca or protectchildren.ca.
If you have information regarding online child exploitation and wish to provide information anonymously, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca. Information can also be reported through cybertip.ca.