Barrie males among those swept up in child sexual exploitation investigation

 

Posted March 26, 2026​

 

Thirty-three people, including two from Barrie,  have been arrested and charged with a combined 136 criminal offences during a child sexual exploitation initiative dubbed Project Series.

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Twenty-three police services participating in the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet (Provincial Internet Child Exploitation Strategy), in partnership with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Child Sexual Exploitation Unit (CSEU), conducted online child exploitation investigations from February 9 to 13, 2026.

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Police used investigative techniques to access online chatrooms and social media applications to identify, locate and arrest persons looking to sexually exploit children.

 

Project Series highlights include:

· all of the accused persons are male, ranging in ages from 16 to 67;

· through these investigations, two repeat offenders were identified;

· six young victims were identified, provided with support and are safe;

· one of the accused arrived at meeting locations with items intended to facilitate offences against children, including personal lubricants and other materials for the child; and,

· 36 investigations remain ongoing.

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Click link for list of charges https://oppnews.ca/files/20260326_141747_81001.pdf