Child porn problem growing, says Sault Police chief

Robert Keetch, Sault Ste. Marie Police Service chief, says the problem of internet child pornography is getting worse locally and across the province.

Keetch held a media conference at the Police Service building Thursday morning in connection with a province-wide child pornography bust.

80 people across the province were charged with child pornography offences, including five Sault Ste. Marie residents, it was announced Thursday morning by the OPP.

"The reality is, it's growing," Keetch told SooToday.

"It's growing as a result of the number of individuals who have access to computers, and technology is facilitating greater exchanging of this information…with the internet there are no borders."

"We're seeing the numbers grow (locally), the demands (for help in battling child pornography) exceed our ability to meet the demands unfortunately, and if we dedicated more officers I would suggest we would continue to see those numbers grow as well," Keetch said.

"Last year we expanded (the Sault Police Service's Technological Crime Unit, or TCU) by one officer through additional funding received from the province (increasing the unit to three officers), and that's something we continue to evaluate on an ongoing basis," Keetch said.

The five Sault residents charged in the latest sting were among targets the Sault Police TCU was keeping an eye on, Sergeant Jack Rice told SooToday.

Those facing child pornography charges listed by OPP as residing in Sault Ste. Marie are:

• James O’Hara, 65, has been charged with possession of child pornography and making available child pornography.
• Kimberly Rivers, 41, has been charged with possession of child pornography and making available child pornography.
• Andrew Hunt, 35, has been charged with two counts each of possession of child pornography and making available child pornography.
• Erik Sachro, 36, has been charged with possession of child pornography and making available child pornography, possession of marijuana and failing to comply.
• Kenneth McKee, 55, has been charged with making child pornography available and accessing child pornography. He also faces charges of unsafe storage of a firearm and possession of marijuana.

"These individuals have been charged and they have yet to be convicted…we choose not to release (the addresses of the individuals)," Keetch told reporters.

"Some would not support that decision…I don't support the activities these individuals (allegedly) engage in, but when you release that type of information it becomes public, then there's a stigma attached to that, and there's potentially ramifications from neighbourhood residents and I would much rather see the matters concluded through the courts," Keetch said.

Regardless, anyone convicted on child pornography charges will do time in jail, Rice told SooToday.

The sentences for those convicted can vary from months to years.

"There are minimum sentences, there's no walking away on it…if you're convicted of any of these charges, there's a minimum sentence," Rice said.

The OPP's Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet (Provincial Strategy) consists of the OPP working with 26 municipal police services, including the Sault Police Service.

Thursday's local media conference came on the heels of a larger media conference held in Toronto this morning by OPP Chief Superintendent Don Bell, who was accompanied by several members of the Provincial Strategy's police partners. 

Sean Sparling, Sault Police Service deputy chief, was present at that Toronto conference.