Saskatoon man facing child porn charges back in court Thursday

March 30, 2009

 SASKATOON — One of the two local men facing child pornography charges in connection with a nationwide police investigation will make another court appearance in Saskatoon this week.

Erick Fernandez is due to appear briefly in provincial court Thursday after his case was adjourned Monday.

The 28-year-old was charged with one count of possession of child pornography after police executed a search warrant at a Saskatoon residence March 19 in connection with a Canada-wide investigation known as Project Salvo.

Eran Michael Pinsky, 25, of Saskatoon is also charged with possession of child pornography, as well as one count of making child pornography available to others. Pinsky’s next court date is April 29.

Neither man is being held in custody while the charges are before the court.

© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix

Saskatoon Detetctive Predicts arrests nation-wide including Saskatchewan

News Talk 980 CJME 

Reported By David Kirton

Posted March 30, 2009 - 11:06am

57 were arrested last week. Four of them from Saskatchewan.

Detective Sergeant Darren Parisien with the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit, says it takes time to go through computers that have been seized.

"Obviously with the size of hard drives and the availability of external media very cheaply, it's affected the amount of images that we find and that data we have to go through," he says.  "The days of seizing a computer with a 100 megabyte hard drive are over.  We're talking terrabytes of data and in some cases hundreds, if not thousands of CDs and DVDs."

I'm Proud of the Saskatoon PS

On March 30th, 2009 otis (not verified) says: 

The citizens of Saskatoon should be proud of the work Detective Sergeant Parisien and his colleagues are doing. Saskatoon is one of the most progressive services seeking out these pieces of human garbage and bringing them to justice. Good work, Detective Sergeant. You and your team are wonderful. 

Edmonton Sun (edomontonsun.com)

28 March 2009

CORNER BROOK, N.L. -- Police in Newfoundland have confirmed that one of the 57 suspects rounded up earlier this week as part of the national investigation into Internet-based child pornography is a 13-year-old boy from Corner Brook.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said yesterday the boy is believed to have been the operator of a computer at a private home where a search warrant was executed by the force's child exploitation unit.

The boy's identity is protected from publication under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

No criminal charges have been laid.

Meanwhile, the RCMP in Gander, N.L., say Henry Earl Johnston, 72, of Gander, has been charged with possession of child pornography, following a search of a residence there.

Project Salvo, deemed the largest investigation of its kind in Canadian history, focused on Internet activity in which participants exchanged child porn. It involved 23 high-tech investigators from the RCMP and 35 police departments across Canada.

Orléans Online

An Orléans elementary school teacher has been released on bail after being charged with one count of possessing child pornography.

Paul-André Dumais, 33, had to post a $1,000 personal bond while a surety posted a $2,000 bond to secure his release. The elementary school teacher was among 50 suspects arrested in Ottawa on Monday as part of a nation-wide investigation into the distribution of child pornography over the Internet.

Under the conditions of his release, Dumais must adhere to a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, he cannot possess any computers or have access to the Internet and he cannot be in the company of anyone under the age of 18 unless in the presence of his surety..

He is also forbidden from coming within 500 metres of Jeanne-Sauvé elementary school where he has taught English, drama and physical education for the past five years.

Dumais is to appear in court again next month.

Nova Scotians arrested in national internet porn investigation

Last Updated: Friday, March 27, 2009 | 9:56 AM AT

CBC News

Six people in Nova Scotia have been charged with child pornography offences as part of a national investigation into child sexual abuse on the internet.

Four individuals in Halifax, one man in Westville and one man in North Sydney were among 57 people charged across Canada this week.Sgt. Mark Gallagher, Nova Scotia RCMP spokesman, doesn't believe any children were exploited within Nova Scotia.

"People are engaging in a criminal activity when they're looking or downloading any child pornography and it victimizes children," said Gallagher. "They're not simply images. These are real children, these are real victims."

Gallagher added that the ease of accessing pornography on the internet "increases the possibility that people are going to victimize children even more."

The RCMP and more than 30 police agencies, including Halifax Regional Municipal Police, collaborated on the investigation called Project Salvo. It was launched in November 2008 before a series of cross-country raids were undertaken this week.

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Story comments (24)

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JohnSansom wrote:Posted 2009/03/31at 7:53 AM ET 

 If the culprits have been charged--as

FIND/EM/GUILTY asks:  

I just wanted to say great work to the Officers that spent their time going after these scum. I wouldn't be able to handle seeing the things they see. So I applaud them for having the strength to go after and get these "people". 

chickinthewoods wrote:Posted 2009/03/30 at 11:53 AM ET 

I also was abused as a child verb,phpsical,and sexually, this is something these children will carry with them the rest of their lives.its time to rescued the children from the h e l l ,hole they got thrown into and send the perp.s there instead,its the child that we should be helping now to get over this, and try and get them as close to their potential as we can get them, the justice system has this reversed, where they help the perps instead, may all they A holes rot in h el l. and if the judges do not do what we canadians want we should have the right to toss judges out of their jobs on their ear, its time we made them sit up and take notice thats its the children we want to help not these perps.god love and protect and help these children cause the justice system does not appear to want to.

May I suggest a new name?

Instead of Project Salvo, it should be called Project Firing Squad.

It's because of these scum that I can't even help a little kid in the mall who is crying and obviously separated from Mommy. I'm afraid of someone thinking I'm a predator. I have to get my wife or daughter to help. That's just not right, and it's because of creeps like these!  

Child porn dragnet nabs 3 GTA men Over 50 arrests made in countrywide operation 

Toronto Star 

Mar 27, 2009 04:30 AM  

Christina Commisso Staff reporter

Three Toronto men, along with 54 others across the country, have been arrested this week in Canada's largest-ever child pornography investigation – Project Salvo.The investigation into Internet-based child sexual abuse is the largest co-ordinated effort of its kind, involving 23 investigators, 71 search warrants, 100 criminal charges, and arrests in every province and territory.

Charges include sexual assault, sexual interference and possessing, making and distributing child pornography.Project Salvo, co-ordinated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police through its National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre, worked with 30 law enforcement agencies throughout Canada, including Toronto police, Peel police, and the OPP."Over 130 computers have been seized ... dozens of computer hard drives and ... thousands of computer storage devices," said RCMP Sgt. Dave Fox in a press conference yesterday.

 Some children were removed from their homes as a result of the investigation. RCMP officers indicated additional searches, arrests and charges are anticipated in coming weeks.

Following the arrests, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection launched a child sexual abuse prevention kit to help parents and teachers deal with issues related to sexual abuse.

Rural bust among national kid-porn raids

Police target Internet file-sharers 

Winnipeg Sun 

By CHRIS KITCHING, SUN MEDIA 

Last Updated: 27th March 2009, 1:53am

Manitoba RCMP officers searched a home in a community northeast of Winnipeg this week as part of a national child pornography sting.

Detectives with the Internet child exploitation unit seized a computer containing child-porn images and arrested a man, who was interviewed and released unconditionally, RCMP said.

RCMP wouldn't identify the community because charges have not yet been laid.

"Naming the community could seriously impair the investigation and/or put stigma on someone," said spokeswoman Sgt. Line Karpish.

The bust was part of Project Salvo, a national effort involving several Canadian police agencies.

RCMP said it was Canada's largest co-ordinated investigation into Internet-based child sexual abuse.

Police targeted an Internet ring where like-minded people exchanged child porn pictures and videos, arresting more than 50 people on charges of sexual assault, sexual interference and possessing, making and distributing child pornography.

'Real victims'

RCMP made the lone arrest in Manitoba.

In that case, the computer was set up so people elsewhere could access and view the images through the Internet, Karpish said. Investigators are trying to determine who made the images available.

"We have to put a person behind that computer and there are challenges we face from time to time," Karpish said.

The investigation is in its early stages, Karpish said.

Project Salvo was co-ordinated by the National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre in Ottawa.

The goal was to identify alleged child-porn distributors believed to be a high risk to children, RCMP said.

The arrests were announced at a news conference in Ottawa.

"These online images and videos contain real victims -- real children being sexually abused," said Derek Egan, chief of Saanich Police in Victoria, in a prepared statement.

Almost 70% of all confirmed child-porn images are of children under eight, and 30% of those capture sexual assaults against the child, according to Canadian Centre for Child Protection statistics.

chris.kitching@sunmedia.ca

 Child porn probe hits London  

The largest Internet-based investigation in Canadian history leads to 57 arrests, including five area men who police say participated in a ring  

London Free press 

Fri, March 27, 2009

By JOE BELANGER

Three London men, one in St. Thomas and another in Sarnia are among 57 people across Canada arrested and charged in what police describe as the largest investigation of Internet-based child sexual abuse.

Police said yesterday the investigation centred on an Internet ring in which participants exchanged child pornography. They seized more than 130 computers, "dozens and dozens" of hard drives and "thousands and thousands" of disks and other computer storage hardware.

Local police worked with direction from a high-tech base in Ottawa that found and tracked online child porn in Canada and beyond.

In London, the cyber crime unit searched three homes Wednesday after an investigation began in February.

"We're always working in concert with other police services in the province, across the country and internationally because we think it's an on-going concern," said Det.-Supt. Ken Heslop. "We hope the arrests today sends a message to those who want to use the Internet for that kind of illegal activity that you can't hide behind your computer. We're going to find you."


Thomas Foster, 34, of Adelaide Street North, is charged with three counts of making available child pornography and four counts of possession of child pornography.

Paul Francis Cheesman, 47, of Nixon Avenue, is charged with three counts of possession of child pornography, two counts of making available child pornography and one count of production of child pornography.

Stephen Horseman, 50, of Dennis Avenue, is charged with one count of making available child pornography, two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of production of child pornography.

London police also played a key role in the arrest of a Sarnia suspect, forwarding information to police there two weeks ago about where child pornography was being accessed through the Internet.

Sarnia police searched a city residence and seized two computers and several DVDs.

A 45-year-old Sarnia man is charged with possession of child pornography, making available child pornography and production of child pornography.

The man's name was not released.

In St. Thomas, police arrested a 67-year-old man, whose name wasn't released, after seizing evidence from a north-end home.

Led by the National Child Exploitation Co-ordination Centre, 35 police departments along with RCMP detachments in 12 provinces and territories participated in the investigation.

Authorities say 23 high-tech investigators were at the core of the operation, dubbed Project Salvo, during which 71 search warrants were issued and more than 100 criminal charges were laid.

In an incident not related to Project Salvo, a London man was also arrested on a child-porn charge.

Andrew Whiteside, 22, of Talbot Street, is charged with one count of possession of child pornography.

Joe Belanger is Free Press crime reporter.

JOE.BELANGER@SUNMEDIA.CA

Local men arrested in child porn investigation

 Regina Leader Post

March 27, 2009

Two local men have been swept up in a nationwide police dragnet, dubbed the largest-ever integrated child porn investigation in Canadian history.

RCMP and municipal police agencies across the country have laid more than 100 criminal charges in the massive investigation, known as Project Salvo. So far, 57 suspects have been charged as a result of 71 search warrants and more arrests, searches and investigations are pending.

Two of the searches were conducted at homes in Saskatoon on March 19 and 24 based on information from the Saskatchewan Internet child exploitation (ICE) unit, which was one of more than 30 police agencies involved.

Erick Fernandez, 28, is charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Eran Michael Pinsky, 25, is charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of making child pornography available to others. Fernandez is scheduled to return to provincial court on March 30. Pinsky returns to court April 29.

Two Regina men have also been charged in the country-wide sweep.

Saskatoon police Const. Darren Parisien, an experienced member of the Saskatchewan ICE unit, said planning for Project Salvo started last November, while the actual investigation lasted about a month. No further arrests are expected in Saskatoon as a result of the project, but further charges may be pending against the two suspects.

"It's a good day for law enforcement in Canada," Parisien said in a phone interview from Ottawa, where Salvo's success was announced. Co-operation among the various police agencies, whose officers shared techniques and information with each other, was a key part of the project, he said.

"We've certainly shone a light in Canada on how common this is, and I think we've shown that if agencies want to put in the time and effort, and have the time and effort and ability to conduct these investigations, they will locate people in their own city or province or region that are committing these offences, and they're going to save kids."

Police seized more than 130 computers, dozens of computer hard drives and "thousands and thousands of computer storage devices and disks," investigators said Thursday.

"Secrecy is the cornerstone of child sexual abuse and today we are opening these conversations and starting to educate Canadians about this growing problem," said Lianna MacDonald, director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

Those already arrested face charges that include sexual assault, sexual interference and possessing, making and distributing child pornography, the RCMP said.

The National Child Exploitation Co-ordination Centre, which holds the national mandate for co-ordinating these investigations, spearheaded the operation in conjunction with its policing partners in cities and provinces across the country.

The Project Salvo investigation focused on users who would meet other like-minded individuals and exchange images in different online environments.

lcoolican@sp.canwest.com

© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix

 By Fred Sherwin

A popular elementary school teacher was arrested and led away by police in front of a number of students at Jeanne-Sauvé elementary school in Fallingbrook after being charged with one count of possessing child pornography as part of one of the largest investigations of its kind in Canada.

Paul André Dumais, 33, was teaching at École publique Jeanne-Sauvé on Gardenway Rd. in Fallingbrook on Monday when he was called down to the office and arrested by waiting police officers. He was then handcuffed and led out of the school past a number of students to a waiting police cruiser.

The police took him down to Ottawa Police Service headquarters on Elgin Street where he was processed before being taken to the Provincial Courthouse for arraignment and later released on bail.

The teacher was among 50 suspects who were arrested in Ottawa as part of Project Salvo, which was a mulit-jurisdictional investigation into the distribution of child pornography over the Internet. Some 23 high tech investigators were involved in the operation which resulted in a total of 71 arrest warrants being issued and more than 100 charges being laid. Authorities say more charges may result as the investigation continues.

The operation involved the RCMP and 35 different police agencies from coast to coast. The focus of the investigation was on the distribution of child pornography material between individuals over the Internet. Police seized more than 130 computers, "dozens and dozens" of hard drives and "thousands and thousands" of disks and other portable storage devices.

While the charge is before him, Dumais has been suspended from teaching at the school indefinitely. He has been at the school for the past three years teaching English, drama and physical education. Before that he taught at Le Prélude in Chapel Hill South.

Parents who attended a special meeting at Jeanne-Sauvé on Thurdsay night expressed disappointment that Dumais had been arrested, concern over the charge he's facing and dismay that he was arrested at the school in front of the students, some of whom are as young as six-years-old.

Several of the parents who asked not to be identified said Dumais was extremely well-liked and respected by his students, which made his arrest especially upsetting to them.

One parent wondered aloud why the police had to arrest Dumais at the school rather than at his home away from the students.

It is not known whether Dumais is married or has any children of his own. Nor has any information been released about the subject matter pertaining to the charge, except that it has no connection with any of the students at the school.

Teacher charged in child porn sting

26 March 2009

By Tony Lofaro

The arrest of a Grade 5 teacher this week on a charge of possession of child pornography should not have been done in front students, parents say.

Ottawa police arrested a 33-year-old teacher on Monday afternoon at Jeanne Sauvé elementary school on Gardenway Road in Orléans following an extensive investigation with the RCMP that also saw seven other Ottawa people and a Gatineau resident charged with child pornography as well as other charges.

The charges are related to Project Salvo in which 71 search warrants were executed and 57 suspects were arrested across Canada in what police said is the largest co-ordinated investigation into Internet-facilitated child abuse in the country.

Charged with one count of possession of child pornography is Paul André Dumais, a Grade 5 teacher at the elementary school.

“If it (the arrest) could have been done otherwise it would have been a lot better — but not in front of the kids,” said Chantal, a parent who attended an information meeting Thursday night at the school. (She declined to give her last name).

Dozens of parents were at the meeting where police officers and a crisis management team discussed the charges against Dumais.

Chantal said many students are upset about the allegations against Dumais who is described as “popular” and a “role model.”

“Some of the students seem to be pretty upset and are in between denial and hope that the police are wrong. But I think everyone realizes the seriousness of the situation,” she said.

Dumais has been at the school for four years and taught English, drama and physical education. He’s been suspended from the school pending the police investigation. Previously, he taught at Le Prélude, an elementary school in Chapel Hill.

While Dumais was arrested Monday, a letter about the arrest was sent out to parents on Wednesday.

Sherry Courchaine said the charge against Dumais has been disturbing only because many of the students are fond of him.

“The kids love him,” said a visibly upset Courchaine, standing outside the school.

“I can’t say that I know him very well. I’ve seen him and I know who he is and I know my kids have had him in school. It’s appalling, but I want to give the gentleman the benefit of the doubt and let the courts take their course and see where things end up.”

She said the mood of the parents at the meeting was of concern for the safety and well-being of their children.

“People want to know is my child implicated, although the police can’t divulge too much information at this point. I don’t have reason to believe that my children were involved in anything, nor do I have any reason to believe that any children at the school were involved,” she said.

Donna Leith-Gudbranson, who works in Councillor Rainer Bloess’s office, also attended the meeting. She said a constituent called the office concerned about the arrest, which his child had witnessed.

“He was upset because his six-year-old child had witnessed the teacher being led away by police,” Leith-Gudbranson said.

Also charged

- Michael Kennefick, 22, of Ottawa: one count possession of child pornography (Canada-wide warrant issued — out of country).

- Richard Contant, 46, of Ottawa: one count possession of child pornography.

- Thea Bradford, 38, of Ottawa: one count possession of child pornography, three counts possession of substance for the purpose of trafficking.

- Robert Desmarais, 40, of Ottawa: one count possession of child pornography, three counts possession of a substance for the purpose of trafficking.

- Donald Etmanskie, 51, of Ottawa: three counts possession of a substance for the purpose of trafficking.

- Stéphane Durocher, 36, of Ottawa: two counts possession, one count making available child pornography.

- Andrew Burke, 43, of Ottawa: one count possession of child pornography.

- Patrick Dupuis-Gendron, 26, of Gatineau: two counts possession, one count making available child pornography, and one prohibited-weapon charge

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

By Peel Regional Police | Published  03/26/2009 | City/Region News

"Salvo" is an ongoing investigation intended to identify individuals using the internet to distribute child pornography. Project "Salvo" has been coordinated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police through its National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre. Law enforcement agencies from across Canada, including Peel Regional Police, are participating in this project.

On Monday, March, 23, 2009, suspect Derek VANOPHYEN, a 37 year-old man from Mississauga, and suspect Brandon STANDING, a 28 year-old man from Brampton, were both charged with Possession of Child Pornography, Making Available Child Pornography and Accessing Child Pornography.

Each suspect made an appearance at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton on Wednesday, March 24, 2009.

For information on the National Child Exploitation Coordination Center, please visit http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ncecc-cncee/.

Police arrest 57 in countrywide child pornography sweep

Last Updated: Thursday, March 26, 2009 | 5:36 PM ET

Comments326

CBC News

More than 50 people across the country have been arrested as a result of a police investigation into child sexual abuse online.In Ottawa on Thursday, representatives of numerous police agencies unveiled the results of Project Salvo, a five-month investigation in which more than 100 charges were laid against individuals from all provinces and territories.

"The operation was an unqualified success," RCMP Supt. John Bilinski said. "The key was agency participation from sea to sea to sea."

More than 30 police agencies across the country collaborated on the investigation, launched in November 2008, before undertaking a series of raids this week. In all, 57 people have been arrested and more than 70 search warrants have been executed so far."

Additional arrests and charges are expected in the coming weeks," Sgt. Dave Fox of the RCMP-led National Child Exploitation Co-ordination Centre said.Citing ongoing investigations, police at a national news conference in Ottawa were sparse with details from specific jurisdictions. But details are emerging from regional forces themselves.

• In Alberta, members of the Integrated Child Exploitation (ICE) team targeted suspects in Calgary, Medicine Hat and Blairmore. The Northern Alberta ICE team in the Edmonton area executed additional warrants.
• One person in the Northwest Territories was arrested this week and charged with possessing and distributing child pornography. RCMP told CBC News they don't believe at this time that any children in the territory are in danger in this case.
• After executing a search warrant at a house in New Brunswick, police arrested a 28-year-old Moncton-area man.
• Three Toronto-area men were arrested and charged.
• In Ottawa, police arrested seven men and one woman.
• Eleven people were arrested in British Columbia.
• A 13-year-old boy in Corner Brook, N.L., was caught up in Project Salvo. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary searched the boy's home on Tuesday. He's being processed under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Police said new investigative technologies played a large role in the operation.

"We're dealing with a dark side of human behaviour, so to wipe that out completely is impossible," said Lianna McDonald, director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection."But law enforcement is prioritizing this and we are having success," she said.