THUNDER BAY - Police say a child pornography investigation where a local man has been recently charged with more than 40 offences is one of the largest busts the police service has seen in recent years.
Thunder Bay Police Service announced on Wednesday the arrest of Skyler Jay King, 26, of Thunder Bay, who faces 46 total charges related to a significant child pornography investigation where more than 200 victims have been identified worldwide.
“This is a very significant bust, the largest I have seen here,” Thunder Bay Police Service Det.-Insp. John Fennell said..
The victims have been identified as living in North America, Europe and Asia.
The initial investigation began last March after officers received information of suspected child pornography being uploaded by a local internet user. This led to the arrest last June of King who was 25 years old at the time.
He was arrested after a search of a residence in the 200 block of McKibbin Street and charged with possession of child pornography and two counts of importing and distributing child pornography.
After the arrest, the police service’s cyber crime unit investigative team continued to collect evidence from electronic devices and examine any suspected child pornography material, Fennell said.
“If they come across a picture that is of concern they have to follow that up and try to identify who the victim is to ensure that person does fall within the means of the child pornography exploitation,” he said. “That takes a great deal of time so for almost a year this has been occurring and those examinations, I can say, are running almost on a daily basis.”
If more victims are identified, more charges could be laid, Fennell said.
There were no known victims locally, police said.
King is slated to appear in Thunder Bay court later this week.
- Karen Edwards, Local Journalism Initiative, TBNewsWatch
