Chatham-Kent Police Service officials allege: As part of Project Aquatic, the Chatham-Kent Police Service and Windsor Police Service have arrested and charged three individuals with child pornography-related offences.
As part of Project Aquatic, held between February 19 and March 1, 2024, the Chatham-Kent Police Service partnered with Windsor Police Service to execute four search warrants in five locations across Chatham, Windsor and Amherstburg.
As a result, 23 electronic devices were seized, and 21 charges were laid (10 by Chatham-Kent Police Service and 11 by Windsor Police Service).
Further to that, a 60-year-old, Wetaskiwin, Alberta man was arrested and charged with five offences by Alberta ICE as a result of an investigation initiated by the Chatham-Kent Police Service during Project Aquatic.
The parties arrested by the Chatham-Kent Police Service, Windsor Police Service and Alberta ICE were held in custody pending bail hearings and later released with future court dates.
Project Aquatic involved multiple child sexual abuse investigations by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)-led Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet (Provincial ICE Strategy), this project involved 27 police services across Ontario.
In the months leading up to the operation, each agency developed its own investigations, in response to reports made through cybertip.ca, and file sharing services, and executed search warrants during the takedown week. Across Ontario, this year’s operation yielded 348 charges against 64 people.
Further details on Project Aquatic are available from the OPP Newsroom.
The Chatham-Kent Police Service is a member of the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet and conducts investigations into Internet Child Exploitation Offences in partnership with numerous Ontario Police Services and law enforcement agencies worldwide.
The investigations conducted by the Chatham-Kent Police Service ICE unit are made possible by a grant from the Ministry of the Solicitor General.
