By Sam Borsato - @BorsatoSam on Twitter

Two Lethbridge Men Charged in Large Child Exploitation Operation

Jun 29, 2016 | 11:12 AM

CALGARY – Over 50,000 videos and images have been seized by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) in an eight month long child exploitation investigation.

The Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Storm 3 Operation focused on high-level targets that shared large collections of photos and videos on  peer-to-peer networks. Staff Sergeant John Guigon says suspects have been arrested and charged over the past four months.

John Tulloch, 25, and Robert Rogers, 42, of Lethbridge are among ten suspects charged with making, possessing and accessing child pornography.

The other suspects include:

– Troy Millington, 45, of Calgary

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– William Norn, 68, of Calgary

– Robert Thompson, 33, of Calgary

– Stefan Mogck, 35, of Medicine Hat

– Michael Henderson, 68, of Medicine Hat

– Gabriel Pereira, 42, of Calgary

– Victor Rahal, 52, of Medicine Hat

– Oscar Asensio, 41, of Calgary

It was noted during a media conference in Calgary, that none of the accused are considered to be in positions of public trust or authority.

Thirty search warrants across Southern Alberta were executed by the integrated ICE team, seizing 285 computers, mobile and storage devices. To date, investigators have sifted through roughly half of the data, which equals nearly 40 terabytes. 

The images found depicted extreme sexual abuse with victims as young as six-months old. However, it’s believed that none of the victims are from Alberta.

“When we look in society, there’s a disconnect between human trafficking, child exploitation and sexual abuse. The reality is, there is no disconnect,” noted Sheldon Kennedy, Child Advocate. “The impact is real, it’s not just an image… We see the kids that have been hurt… We need to make visible the invisible.”

Kennedy runs a child advocacy centre in Calgary, and stated that the impact of this type of crime can have devastating effects on a child’s mental health and well-being for the rest of their life.

Anyone with further information on this or any child exploitation case, is urged to contact police or www.cybertip.ca.