ONTARIO RESIDENT FACES CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION CHARGES
Accused in Custody in United States
(ORILLIA, ON) – Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) confirm that a Markham resident faces further charges in Canada in relation to a joint investigation into cross border child sexual exploitation.
United States officials advised that a Canadian male suspect travelled to Atlanta for the purpose of engaging a 13-year-old female in sexual activity. On August 11, 2017, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigators arrested Yves LEGAULT, aged 53 years of Markham Ontario, at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Working collaboratively with FBI officials, members of the OPP Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, Technological Crime Unit, and Canada Border Services Agency, and — with the assistance of York Regional Police — executed a search warrant at a Markham residence and seized several computers and related items that contained images of child sexual abuse.
The OPP have issued an arrest warrant for Yves Joseph LEGAULT and charged him with two counts of Possession of Child Pornography, one count of Accessing Child Pornography, one count of Making Sexually Explicit Material Available to a Child, and three counts of Luring a Child. The accused is currently in custody in the United States and will answer the charges laid in Canada once the United States investigation and court process are complete.
The investigation continues. The OPP is asking anyone who may have had similar involvement with Mr. LEGAULT either online or in person to contact their local police service, the OPP at 1-800-310-1122, CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the Canadian Centre for Child Protection at www.cybertip.ca .
QUOTE
“The most fundamental responsibility of any society is to protect its children. Every child has the right to be safe from predators in their real and virtual lives. The nature of this case clearly illustrates the collaborative approach is crucial for successful investigations that cross international borders and involve multiple jurisdictions.”
– Inspector Tina CHALK, Manager – OPP Electronic Crime Section