EDMONTON (CP) - Carl Treleaven, a key member of an international child pornography ring, was to be sentenced Friday in a case that involves horrifying images of rape and abuse of children and infants.
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Treleaven, 49, was actually online when Edmonton police raided his home on Jan. 26.
As officers took him into custody they noted there were more than 90 people on the Internet waiting to download material from computer chat rooms he helped run.
In the queue were people from England, South America, Denmark, Australia, the United States, Canada and other countries, according to the agreed statement of facts in the case.
"I just look at pictures, I don't hurt anybody," Treleaven told police repeatedly that day as he confessed to possessing child pornography. He later pleaded guilty to distributing child porn.
On Wednesday his case was linked by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to the arrest of dozens of suspects from four countries in an international sting operation.
Gonzales said the case is an example of how police around the world can work together to protect children from sexual abuse.
He called the images "the worst imaginable forms of child pornography."
The charges against the suspects include possession, receipt, distribution and manufacture of photos and live video of adults abusing seven victims - one who was less than 18 months old.
Nine of the accused are from Canada, 13 from the U.S., three from Australia and two from Britain.
Within minutes of Gonzales' announcement police watched as news of the arrests oozed down through to the murky world of Internet child porn chat rooms.
Edmonton police Det. Randy Wickins, who helped crack the case, said word of the bust even flickered on to the very chat room Treleaven was involved in.
"I'm sure many of these people have run and hidden," Wickins said Thursday. "They will come back out. They are not going away."
The arrests have been a big morale boost for police who work on child porn cases.
Wickins and some of his colleagues proudly displayed copies of major American newspapers that put the story on the front page.
"The reward is knowing some kids - I wish we could find them all - are no longer in an abusive situation."
The massive case began simply with an Edmonton woman overhearing a boy and a girl talking to each other. The woman then reported their conversation to police.
That led to the arrest of an Edmonton man in May 2005. The man, whose name has been banned from publication, was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Four undercover Toronto police officers later infiltrated the chat room in November 2005, targeting Treleaven and eight others who were sharing child porn images, including acts of incest, bestiality and rape.
Court documents show that Treleaven, who has two previous convictions for indecent assault and gross indecency on girls during the 1970s, had more than 20 gigabytes of child porn on his computer.
He told police he has been involved with child porn since he was 16 years old and considers himself addicted to such material, comparing the situation to alcoholism.
Police say some people who used the chat room not only viewed child porn, they created it as well.
Other suspects arrested in Canada include men in Toronto, Kingston and Woodbridge in Ontario; Selkirk and Brandon in Manitoba; and Courtenay and Prince George in British Columbia.
The Toronto suspect was identified Thursday as Andre Mohammed, 20. Police told a news conference that Mohammed was arrested and charged on Feb. 9, and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
In Treleaven's case, the Crown and defence have filed a joint submission seeking a 3 1/2-year prison sentence.
"The public is going to see that when we catch somebody like this they are not going to see a slap on the wrist," said Crown prosecutor Steve Bilodeau.
"It is important for perpetrators to know that they can hide in a chat room, but police will find them."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20060317/ca_pr_on_na/child_porn_us_cda
Now that is sick, possesing kiddie porn, but worst images of a kid under 18 months old. These are real creeps.
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Treleaven, 49, was actually online when Edmonton police raided his home on Jan. 26.
As officers took him into custody they noted there were more than 90 people on the Internet waiting to download material from computer chat rooms he helped run.
In the queue were people from England, South America, Denmark, Australia, the United States, Canada and other countries, according to the agreed statement of facts in the case.
"I just look at pictures, I don't hurt anybody," Treleaven told police repeatedly that day as he confessed to possessing child pornography. He later pleaded guilty to distributing child porn.
On Wednesday his case was linked by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to the arrest of dozens of suspects from four countries in an international sting operation.
Gonzales said the case is an example of how police around the world can work together to protect children from sexual abuse.
He called the images "the worst imaginable forms of child pornography."
The charges against the suspects include possession, receipt, distribution and manufacture of photos and live video of adults abusing seven victims - one who was less than 18 months old.
Nine of the accused are from Canada, 13 from the U.S., three from Australia and two from Britain.
Within minutes of Gonzales' announcement police watched as news of the arrests oozed down through to the murky world of Internet child porn chat rooms.
Edmonton police Det. Randy Wickins, who helped crack the case, said word of the bust even flickered on to the very chat room Treleaven was involved in.
"I'm sure many of these people have run and hidden," Wickins said Thursday. "They will come back out. They are not going away."
The arrests have been a big morale boost for police who work on child porn cases.
Wickins and some of his colleagues proudly displayed copies of major American newspapers that put the story on the front page.
"The reward is knowing some kids - I wish we could find them all - are no longer in an abusive situation."
The massive case began simply with an Edmonton woman overhearing a boy and a girl talking to each other. The woman then reported their conversation to police.
That led to the arrest of an Edmonton man in May 2005. The man, whose name has been banned from publication, was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Four undercover Toronto police officers later infiltrated the chat room in November 2005, targeting Treleaven and eight others who were sharing child porn images, including acts of incest, bestiality and rape.
Court documents show that Treleaven, who has two previous convictions for indecent assault and gross indecency on girls during the 1970s, had more than 20 gigabytes of child porn on his computer.
He told police he has been involved with child porn since he was 16 years old and considers himself addicted to such material, comparing the situation to alcoholism.
Police say some people who used the chat room not only viewed child porn, they created it as well.
Other suspects arrested in Canada include men in Toronto, Kingston and Woodbridge in Ontario; Selkirk and Brandon in Manitoba; and Courtenay and Prince George in British Columbia.
The Toronto suspect was identified Thursday as Andre Mohammed, 20. Police told a news conference that Mohammed was arrested and charged on Feb. 9, and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
In Treleaven's case, the Crown and defence have filed a joint submission seeking a 3 1/2-year prison sentence.
"The public is going to see that when we catch somebody like this they are not going to see a slap on the wrist," said Crown prosecutor Steve Bilodeau.
"It is important for perpetrators to know that they can hide in a chat room, but police will find them."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20060317/ca_pr_on_na/child_porn_us_cda
Now that is sick, possesing kiddie porn, but worst images of a kid under 18 months old. These are real creeps.
