31 arrests in Quebec crackdown on various child sex offences, including pornography

(Pexels)

Thirty-one arrests have been made in connection with child pornography and other sexual offences involving minors across Quebec in recent days.

A series of investigations were initiated in the fall of 2022, with over 275 police officers from Montreal, Quebec City, Longueuil, Laval and Gatineau involved.

Over a year later, between Jan. 23 and 26, 31 arrests were made. The suspects, aged between 37 and 79, appeared in court this week.

Charges include luring, conspiracy to commit a sexual offence against a child, making sexually explicit material available to a child, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, and sexual assault, as well as possessing, distributing and producing child pornography.

Police conducted the crackdown by searching suspects' homes and computers.

"It is thanks to the rigorous and relentless work of all the police officers and prosecutors involved that such results are possible," said Marc-Antoine Vachon, head of the Sûreté du Québec's team child pornography unit, in a press release.