BY KELLY ROCHE

Two Mississauga men – including a suspected pimp with ties to Brampton – are facing charges in connection with a massive multi-jurisdictional cyber child exploitation sting in which 20 victims were rescued and 80 people were arrested.
A total of 274 charges — including four against an Ottawa youth whose name is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act – are being laid after 174 search warrants were executed, OPP Chief Supt. Don Bell announced during a news conference in Toronto Thursday morning.
Nine human trafficking victims, including teens ranging from 14-years-old to 16-years-old, are now safe; drug and weapons-related charges were also laid.

Coordinated investigations conducted by the RCMP, police in South Simcoe, Stratford, St. Thomas, the Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Homeland Security resulted in the sweep.
Police displayed a video showing 2,038 unique IP addresses that were broadcasting as either a ‘download candidate’ for suspected child pornography or where the user was present on a known child exploitation website.
These IP addresses were observed over the last 90 days in Ontario.
While police are always working to combat Internet child exploitation, kids, teens and parents “have a responsibility to educate themselves to ensure their online experiences are as rewarding as they want it to be and as safe as it needs to be,” said Insp. Lisa Taylor.

Ramon M. Reid, 26, of Mississauga, is charged with human trafficking, receive material benefit, exercise control, derive material benefit, advertise sexual services, distribution of child pornography, sexual assault, sexual interference, assault, utter threats, breach of probation. He’s been remanded in custody.

Terrence D’Cruz, 49,  Mississauga, is charged with possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, and making child pornography available. He was scheduled to appear in Brampton court last Tuesday.

OAKVILLE