Canadian Child Pornography Bust Rescues Nearly 400 Children And Arrested 348 Adults

Canadian police told reporters after an expansive international child pornography investigation nearly 400 children have been rescued and 348 adults arrested.

In October of 2010, Police Service Child Exploitation service made contact with a Toronto man. The man allegedly was sharing ‘very graphic images’ of sexual child abuse. William Blair Toronto Police Service Chief announced at a press conference on Thursday.

The police investigation discovered an entire child movie production and distribution company in Toronto. They were operating from the web site azovfilms.com.

42 year-old Brian Way was running the site. From the web he sold and distributed images of child exploitation to people around the globe.

Canada And The U.S. Work Together

Joanna Beaven-Desjardins is the head of Toronto’s Sex Crimes Unit, she enlisted help from the United States Postal Inspection Service. Many of the videos were exported stateside, so a joint investigation began.

Seven long months of investigation police finally had enough to execute search warrants across the city of Toronto.

Inspector Beaven-Desjardins had this to say at a press conference:

“Investigators catalogued hundreds of thousands of images and videos of horrific sexual acts against very young children, some of the worst they have ever viewed.”

Over 45 terabytes of data were seized by police from the $4 million dollar business. The business distributed content to over 50 countries including Australia, Spain, Mexico, Sweden, and Greece. My stomach turns thinking how many sick perverted individuals are walking around this planet.

50 people were arrested in Ontario, 58 throughout the rest of Canada, 76 in the United States, and another 164 internationally.

Beaven-Desjardins said the most alarming thing they discovered was that many of the arrests were of people who worked with or interacted with children.

Among the hundreds that were arrested three were foster parents, nine pastors and priests, six law enforcement personnel, nine doctors and nurses, and 40 school teachers.

Inspector Beaven-Desjardins said the expansive cooperation between Toronto police and organizations worldwide helped to rescue 386 children from exploitation.

“This confirms that when we work together regardless of the borders that divide us we can successfully take down those who not only prey on our most vulnerable but also profit from it.”

– Beaven-Desjardins

Brian Way has been charged with 24 counts, including possession of, distribution of, and exporting and importing child pornography. We are grateful to the individuals that helped get these monsters off the street.

(Cover photo courtesy of NBC and source NBC)