Friday, March 29, 2024

Victoria Police help nab suspect who created and distributed child pornography

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The Victoria Police department was involved in a months-long investigation in partnership with the British Columbia Integrated Child Exploitation Unit (BC ICE) after which one man was arrested for creating and distributing child pornography.

In a statement released Friday, BC ICE and VicPD said they conducted an investigation into child pornography between June 2018 and January 2019, and identified a suspect “using conventional and non-conventional techniques.”

This suspect, identified as Christopher Thomas Smith, was associated with two residences in the Lower Mainland—one in Coquitlam and the other in Surrey.

BC Prosecution Service approved the following charges against Smith in October 2020:

  • making or publishing child pornography,
  • importing or distributing child pornography,
  • arranging or agreeing on a sexual offence against a child, and
  • personation with intent to gain advantage.

He was arrested on November 27, 2020 and later released on several conditions.

While Smith is out of jail, he is prohibited from contacting or communicating with anyone under age 16, and from attending parks, playgrounds, and anywhere a child can reasonably be expected to be present.

He is also not allowed to access the internet or go on any forums, social networks, websites, or be in a relationship with anyone who has a child under the age of 16.

“We continue to work with and alongside our provincial policing partners to identify and hold accountable, those in our communities committing crimes against children,” said Inspector Tyler Svendson of the BC RCMP Behavioural Sciences Group, in a statement.

There is no indication of what role Victoria Police played in this investigation or whether Smith has ties to Vancouver Island.

Victoria Buzz has reached out to VicPD for more information.

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Brishti Basu
Former Senior Staff Writer and Content Manager at Victoria Buzz.

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