Warning: This article contains graphic details.
NANAIMO - A Nanaimo man is being sentenced for possession and distribution of over 200,000 images and videos of child pornography Thursday.
The Crown is seeking a three year jail sentence for Aaron Macrae, saying he possessed a very large collection of child pornography that shows extremely graphic material, including children as young as toddlers.
Some of the child porn images and videos mentioned by the Crown included degrading and voyeuristic videos, posed photos, oral and anal penetration, as well as beastility.
Prosecutor Nick Barber said in court that Macrae is at a high risk to reoffend and that he is "inches away from being a hands-on offender.”
Macrae also worked at cell phone stores throughout Nanaimo and would secretly record his customers' children while they were at his work.
The accused is also said to have used a hidden camera to interact with young girls at Woodgrove Centre and on public transit.
One video presented by the Crown shows Macrae talking with a girl, approximately 10 to 13 years of age, that was alone at Woodgrove Centre. In the video, Macrae can be heard asking questions like, "why are you here today?" and "does your mom know you're here?"
The RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit (ICE) was alerted about Macrae after a photo was uploaded to Instagram that was considered child pornography.
Police were able to track the IP address to his home in Nanaimo and a search warrant ensued where 13 devices were seized from the property that contained hundreds of thousands of child porn images.
Macrae fled Vancouver Island after the search and was later arrested in Abbotsford in November 2018.
Authorities were unable to identify any of the children in Macrae’s collection. The lead RCMP investigator on the case called the seized material in court Thursday "by far the largest collection I’ve come across.”
Mcrae's sentencing was adjourned on Thursday until Tuesaday, Nov. 26.
