Child luring suspects brought candy, toys to meet officers posing as children: OPP
Posted November 2, 2023 11:53 am.
Last Updated November 2, 2023 6:41 pm.
They were allegedly trying to lure children for sex with baseball cards, candy and toys. Instead, undercover OPP officers posing as children online lured them into handcuffs.
Ten people are facing a total of 39 charges as part of Project Limestine — a four-day luring investigation led by Ontario Provincial Police in tandem with several other police forces, including Durham and York Regional Police.
“Investigators utilized undercover techniques to access online chatrooms and social media applications designed for children in order to identify, locate and arrest persons looking to sexually exploit children,” the OPP said in a release.
The investigation took place between September 12-15, and also resulted in the seizure of 55 devices.
Police say six of the suspects were arrested after they showed up to meet with who they thought were children, but were really officers.
Even more disturbingly, police say some of the accused arrived with candy, toys and sexual paraphernalia after arranging to meet with officers posing as “mothers with young children.”
Investigators also explained how quickly exploitation attempts can materialize, saying in one case it took just “an hour-and-a-half from engaging online to the individual arriving at a location to meet with the undercover investigator posing as a child.”
Four of the suspects reside in the Greater Toronto Area, with two from Vaughan, one from Whitby, and one from Markham.
Investigators are advising parents to remain vigilant about what their children are doing online.
“Luring offenders often target a multitude of victims at the same time,” police said. “Predators go where children go; it is imperative that parents and caregivers are aware of what their children do online.”
6543aab526913_4 Addendum of Charged Persons-FINAL-Project Limestone by CityNewsToronto on Scribd
