Following an investigation that launched in February of this year, the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service has arrested and charged a Heyden area resident with child pornography related offences.
A news release issued today states that "computer forensic examination revealed child pornography downloaded and uploaded from accounts associated with the accused. This information was also found to be consistent with two other investigations that had been referred to by the National Child Exploitation Crime Centre from 2021 and 2022."
Full text of the release follows:
On May 24, 2022, officers with the Technological Crime Unit charged 24-year-old Travis Morin of Aweres Township with possession and distribution of child pornography.
In February 2022, officers began an investigation, initiated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, related to illicit child exploitation material on the internet. On April 5, 2022, officers from the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service and the Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Provincial Police Crime Unit executed a search warrant at the accused’s residence and seized numerous devices for examination. Further computer forensic examination revealed child pornography downloaded and uploaded from accounts associated with the accused. This information was also found to be consistent with two other investigations that had been referred to by the National Child Exploitation Crime Centre from 2021 and 2022.
On May 24, 2022, officers arrested the accused. He is charged with:
• Distribution of child pornography
• Possession of child pornography
He was held in custody pending a bail hearing.
About the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service's Technological Crime Unit
The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service's Technological Crime Unit is a proud member of the Ontario Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet, which consists of 27 partnering municipal agencies working collaboratively to rescue victims and combat child exploitation. This strategy has been made possible by a grant from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.