Child sex exploitation and cybercrimes are on the rise in Greater Sudbury

WARNING: This article contains details of child sexual abuse.

According to new data released by Statistics Canada, cybercrimes in Greater Sudbury increased from 381 reports per 100,000 people in 2022 to 406 in 2023. This rise is partly attributed to an increase in child pornography.

Cybercrimes encompass all crimes where a computer or the internet was either the target or the instrument used including fraud, extortion and sexual exploitation. The government agency reports that the increase in child pornography in 2023 was partially the result of more cases being forwarded to local police services as a result of increased public awareness.

Stephen Sauer, the director of Canada's tipline for reporting online child sexual abuse and exploitation, Cybertip.ca, attributes the increase to the ease of access, recording, and sharing of child pornography over the internet.

"Because of technology nowadays we know that more of this stuff is being distributed online than ever before…we have individuals who have unfiltered access to our kids through social media, through different apps and services," said Sauer.

According to Statistics Canada, almost 79 per cent of incidents of child pornography and 20 per cent of sexual violations against children include a cyber component. 

Sauer says social media companies are "making money off of the backs of kids being sexually exploited" due to the decisions they make around the design, moderation and commercialization of their services.

"They don't have things like proper moderation or training for individuals that monitor these apps. They don't have the appropriate systems in place to ensure that there are preventative methods set up...they just aren't doing enough."

He notes that he frequently sees videos of children being abused at home, which are shared online by offenders who have that interest in children. He has also noticed individuals who connect with children to create child sexual abuse material through online apps and services. 

"It's pretty easy for an individual to contact you through social media or through an app that you typically use and have a conversation with them, groom them and move them to a point where they're willing to share a sexual picture, video or record live stream," said Sauer.

He adds that these children can range from very young to around 10 years old.

"There's a sense of panic and that they know that something has gone wrong and they're often, you know, stressed as a result of being exploited. They're seeking some sort of guidance, some assistance. In a lot of cases, there's shame associated with it because they often blame themselves for what's happened."