22 men charged in Quebec child exploitation investigation

Quebec provincial police say 22 men have been arrested following a provincewide investigation into online child sexual exploitation. The suspects, aged 18 to 70, were taken into custody after a series of coordinated raids carried out earlier this week.

According to the Sûreté du Québec, 20 of the accused have already appeared in court on charges that include possession, distribution and access of child sexual abuse material. The investigation was conducted between November 3 and 7, with more than 150 officers participating in searches across multiple cities, including Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, Longueuil, Boucherville and Gatineau.

Police say 26 locations were searched, and a number of computer devices were seized as evidence. Authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspected online sexual exploitation of minors through the national tip line at cybertip.ca.

The arrests are part of ongoing efforts by Quebec law enforcement agencies to target and disrupt online child exploitation networks across the province.