Eight people have been charged with 36 criminal offences, including a Simcoe man, during an investigation known at Project Peacehaven.
The joint investigation conducted by the Ontario Provincial Police Child Sexual Exploitation Unit and Peterborough Police Service addressed concerns over how popular social media applications are used by those looking to sexually abuse children.
Trained investigators utilized online under-cover techniques to access online chatrooms and social media applications designed for youth to proactively identify, locate and arrest persons looking to sexually exploit children in Peterborough.
The investigation took place over three days.
Investigators communicated with 36 suspects beyond simple introductions.
The communications established ages which were well outside the consensual parameters established by the Criminal Code and included inappropriate sexualized content.
Approximately 30 per cent of these suspects were identified, located and arrested after committing criminal offences.
Six of the suspects were arrested when they arrived at a set location to meet the child for sexual purposes.
Two suspects were identified solely through online investigations and arrested outside of a set meeting location.
One suspect drove over 290 kilometers to meet a child for sexual purposes.
A repeat offender was arrested who had just completed their ten-year term on the Ontario Sex Offender Registry.
Locally, 36-year-old Jordan Cobb was arrested and charged with five counts of luring a person under 16 and two counts of sending sexually explicit material to a person under 16.
