West Shore RCMP say child pornography investigations on the rise

The West Shore RCMP detachment is pictured: Jan. 11, 2021 (CTV News)

Mounties say child pornography investigations are on the rise in the western communities of Greater Victoria.

The West Shore RCMP conducted 39 child pornography investigations in 2022, doubling the 19 cases investigated in 2021.

The detachment highlighted the work of its serious crimes unit in a news release Monday, noting six recent convictions for possession of child pornography, child luring and sexual assault.

A 33-year-old man was convicted last month of possession of child pornography and sentenced to a seven-month conditional sentence and 18 months of probation, according to the Mounties, who said the investigation took approximately eight months to complete.

In January, a year-long investigation culminated in an 18-year prison sentence for another man who was convicted of sexual assault, invitation to sexual touching and production of child pornography.

"Though the number of these investigations appears to be increasing year over year, the unit takes some comfort in these recent convictions," Sgt. Thana Hodge of the West Shore RCMP serious crime unit said.

The Langford-based detachment says child pornography investigations often take several months or years to complete due to their complexity.

Such cases are resource-intensive, relying heavily on search warrants, production orders, surveillance and technical data analysis, the department said.