NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE
**************************
ELLIOT LAKE - Members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, the OPP Digital Forensics Unit and the East Algoma OPP Detachment have arrested and charged an Elliott Lake man following an investigation into the possession of child sexual abuse materials.
On Oct. 4, 2018, police executed a search warrant at a residence in the City of Elliot Lake, locating and seizing several computers, computer-related items as well as printed images. All of the seized items were found to be contaminated with child sexual abuse material.
As a result of this investigation, police arrested and charged Pern Terry Rowe, 75 years old, with the following criminal offences:
• Possession of child pornography x two (2) counts
• Access child pornography x one (1) count
The accused was held pending a bail hearing at the Ontario Court of Justice in Blind River, Ont. on Oct. 5, 2018.
The investigation is continuing and police wish to speak with anyone that may have information related to the above criminal offences. Anyone with information regarding the above criminal offences should immediately contact the Ontario Provincial Police, East Algoma OPP Detachment at 705-848-6975. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
October is child abuse awareness month
October is Child Abuse Prevention Month in Canada and investigators want to take the opportunity to remind the public that offences related to child pornography are not victimless crimes. The images are of real children.
"Perpetrators of such crimes often minimize their actions by saying they were 'just looking.' Let me be clear-anyone who possesses, distributes, accesses, or otherwise supports the supply and demand chain for child sexual abuse images are complicit in the sexual abuse of children. Our children are our future and it is everyone's responsibility to keep them safe." - OPP Staff Sergeant Sharon Hanlon, Child Sexual Exploitation Unit
Child sexual abuse begins offline in homes and in our communities. Survivors of these crimes often say that they live in fear of being recognized by the individuals around the world that collect and share images of their abuse.
To learn more about the issue of child sexual abuse and ways you can reduce harm to children, please visit The Canadian Centre for Child Protection at protectchildren.ca or cybertip.ca. Among many resources, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection offers parents information to help them in speaking with their kids about internet safety to protect them from online sexual exploitation.
About the OPP's Child Sexual Exploitation Unit
The OPP's Child Sexual Exploitation Unit is a proud member of the Ontario Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet, which consists of 27 partnering municipal agencies working collaboratively to rescue victims and combat child exploitation. This strategy has been made possible by a grant from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
**************************