RCMP in New Brunswick received some help from the provincial government today in the fight against online predators.
The New Brunswick government announced a new $800,000 investment to the Internet child exploitation unit.
The investment will allow police to add eight new officers, who will work exclusively on hunting online predators, to the division.
“As access to the Internet proliferates, then obviously you get more people online and more targets are identified,” says RCMP Insp. Kevin Lahey.
Officers in the unit dissect seized computers and search for files and images that are traded locally, nationally and internationally.
“Very often, people involved in some of these offences, they don’t reside in your own jurisdiction,” says Rothesay Regional Police Chief Stephen McIntyre. “They’re committing these offences elsewhere and you have to engage the support of other police forces across the country to give you a hand.”
Thursday’s announcement comes in the wake of several high-profile cases across the province.
“In 2012, there were 101 incidents reported to the New Brunswick RCMP that involved child sexual abuse images or child luring,” says RCMP Asst. Comm. Wayne Lange.
The announcement is also welcome news to parents, like Scott Archibald.
As a graphic designer, Archibald spends most days at his computer and a lot of time online. As a father, he limits his daughters’ screen time and pays close attention to who they communicate with.
“They know that there is potential trouble out there,” says Archibald. “They know why we say no to going on chat lines or chat groups, and we’re pretty strict about who they connect with when they do go onto websites, and if it’s not their friends, they don’t get to connect.”
With files from CTV Atlantic's Andy Campbell
