West Shore RCMP say child pornography investigations on the rise
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.