Overview
- The HRP/RCMP Integrated Internet Child Exploitation Unit opened the case in May, with the arrest announced Oct. 28 and the accused’s identity protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
- Police allege the accused was an active member of 764, a subgroup of the Com Network, and the youth faces multiple child pornography offences.
- Authorities say these virtual communities glorify violence and cruelty and operate on mainstream apps and games such as Discord, Telegram, Roblox, Minecraft, Twitch and Steam.
- Investigators report no identified local victims to date and could not say whether any victims are Canadian, urging the public to contact HRP, Crime Stoppers or Nova Scotia’s CyberScan Unit.
- Officials warn perpetrators groom children over weeks or months, often targeting ages 8 to 18, as U.S. data show more than 1,300 related CyberTipline reports in 2024 and 1,000 in the first half of 2025, with most victims teen girls.