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2mo ago

More Than 500,000 Child Sexual‑Exploitation Images Seized in Okotoks Raid

Authorities say the unusually large collection will require lengthy forensic work to identify victims, trace how material was shared and support prosecutions.

An Okotoks, Alta., man faces criminal charges in connection with the discovery of a massive collection of child sexual exploitation images and videos.

Overview

  • Police seized over 500,000 photos and videos from an Okotoks home after a targeted search of several hard drives and computers on May 26, law enforcement agencies said.
  • The probe began in January when the RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre provided a tip that led Alberta’s Internet Child Exploitation unit to investigate.
  • ALERT’s ICE unit described the haul as one of the largest it has ever encountered and noted it rivals a full year of the unit’s provincewide identifications.
  • A 35‑year‑old man has been charged with possessing and accessing child sexual abuse material, was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in Okotoks court on Aug. 8.
  • Officials and a victim‑support group stressed that each file represents a real exploited child and urged people to report tips while forensic work continues to identify victims and follow distribution leads.