A Brighton man and two people from Kingston are among the 17 people facing charges in a province-wide investigation into child sexual exploitation.
Project Brace included 15 police agencies who jointly conducted online child exploitation investigations to identify and apprehend those who prey on children. Investigators targeted individuals reportedly making, possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material.
Project Brace resulted in 17 arrests on a total of 55 charges and the seizure of 424 electronic devices.
The people arrested include 25-year-old Geoffrey FANTASKE of Brighton, 41-year-old Chris FOSTER of Kingston and 49-year-old Matthew DOUCETTE of Kingston.
Fantaske faces charges of:
• Possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material,
section 163.1(4) of the CC – two counts
• Make available child sexual abuse and exploitation material,
section 163.1(3) of the CC
• Assault Peace Officer, section 270(1) of the CC
• Weapons for a Dangerous Purpose, section 88(1) of the CC
Foster faces charges of:
• Possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material,
section 163.1(4) of the CC – two counts
• Accessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material, section
163.1(4.1) of the CC
• Make available child sexual abuse and exploitation material,
section 163.1(3) of the CC
Doucette faces charges of:
• Possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material,
section 163.1(4) of the CC
• Accessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material, section
163.1(4.1) of the CC
• Make available child sexual abuse and exploitation material,
section 163.1(3) of the CC
Provincial Strategy police partners have noted a significant rise in reports of online child sexual exploitation and child sexual abuse material in recent years. To learn how to keep children safe, visit Canadian Centre for Child Protection.
Anyone with any information related to child sexual exploitation should contact their local police or report it to cybertip.ca.
QUOTE
“Online offenders are increasingly leveraging digital technologies to access and exploit children and youth. Through social media, gaming platforms, messaging applications, and peer-to-peer networks, they use deceptive tactics to groom victims, distribute child sexual abuse material, and evade detection. Combating these crimes requires vigilance, education, and collective action from families, communities, industry partners, and law enforcement.”
– OPP Detective Staff Sergeant Tara Clark, Provincial Strategy Coordinator
The complete list of names and charges is included below.
