Massive Child Pornography Bust
TORONTO – Crimebeat – On Thursday, November 14, 2013, Toronto Police Service Chief William Blair announced the results of Project Spade, a three-year, international investigation involving the making and selling of child exploitation videos and images over the internet. The investigation has rescued 386 children and has resulted in 341 arrests around the world. Arrests included teachers, and other individuals who normally would be thought of as being in positions of trust to protect children.
Toronto Police News Conference on Project Spade
In October 2010, undercover officers with the Toronto Police Service Child Exploitation Section made contact with a Toronto man allegedly sharing images of child sexual abuse.
The investigation revealed that this person may have been operating a child exploitation movie production and distribution company. The TPS then partnered with the United States Postal Inspection Service to further the investigation into this individual and company. On May 1, 2011, officers executed search warrants at a business and a residence in Toronto and arrested a man.
It is alleged that:
- He was operating a website called www.azovfilms.com
- this website sold and distributed child exploitation movies and images to people across the >world
- the man paid various people to film children for the purpose of creating movies for sale on his website
- over 45 terabytes of data were seized
- his company had revenues in excess of $4 million
Brian Way, 42, of Toronto, was charged with:
1) Possession Child Pornography;
2) Three counts of Possession for the Purpose Publication Child Pornography.
3) Six counts of Make Available Child Pornography
4) Three counts of Make for the Purpose Publication Child Pornography
5) Three counts of Advertise for the Purpose Distribution Child Pornography
6) Three counts of Sell/Distribute Child Pornography
7) Import/Export Child Pornography
8) Possession for the Purpose Exportation Child Pornography
9) Possession of Proceeds of Crime
10) Laundering Proceeds of Crime
11) Instructing Commission of Offence for Criminal Organization
This is the first time in Canada this charge (#11) has been laid in relation to a child exploitation material investigation.
The TPS was able to determine the identities of customers of this website from around the world. The RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre (N.C.E.C.C.) in Ottawa assisted the Child Exploitation Section in providing intelligence to over 50 countries.
As a result, 341 people have been arrested around the world. In addition, 386 children have been rescued from child exploitation.
The Toronto Police Service would like to acknowledge the following agencies who participated in Project Spade:
The United States Postal Inspection Service
Australian Federal Police
Cuerpo Nacional de Policía – Brigada de Investigación Tecnológica (Spain)
Procuraduria General de la Republica (PGR) in cooperation with Mexican Federal Police
Queensland Police Service . Task Force Argos
Norwegian Police Service (Politi- og lensmannsetaten)
An Garda Síochána (Ireland)
National Police Force of Greece
Royal Gibraltar Police
The following Ontario law enforcement agencies:
Ontario Provincial Police
Barrie Police Service
Brantford Police Service
Durham Regional Police Service
Guelph Police Service
Halton Regional Police Service
Kingston Police Force
Waterloo Regional Police Service
London Police Service
Niagara Regional Police Service
Ottawa Police Service
Peel Regional Police
Windsor Police Service
York Regional Police
