Four men arrested in child sexual exploitation investigation

Four men face several charges in connection to a child exploitation investigation.

Ontario Provincial Police announced the arrests on Wednesday, noting the investigation was done with the Waterloo Regional Police Service.

Undercover police spoke with 36 people over a three day investigation named “Project Derby.” Of the 36 individuals contacted, four men were arrested and charged.

Police say three of them were arrested after they arrived at a set location to meet a child for sexual purposes.

– Jason John Mclaughlin, 46, of Kitchener
– Johnathan Charles Upsdell, 30, of Cambridge
– Christopher M. Funston, 48, of Kitchener
– Roger Yvan Bellaire, 50, of Kitchener

Child Sexual Exploitation Investigation https://t.co/crSsCpGVKy

— Ontario Provincial Police (@OPP_News) February 24, 2021

Police say people are spending more time on social media due to the pandemic and report that the number of calls they receive about child sexual exploitation is rising as a result.

For resources on how to keep your children safe from online predators go to: Canadian Centre for Child Protection. If you have information related to child sexual exploitation contact your local police or report to cybertip.ca.