Hundreds arrested in child porn bust

(Video updated) 348 people have been arrested worldwide — 108 in Canada, 50 of those in Ontario — following an international child pornography investigation.

The investigation was called Project Spade. Police say Toronto-based Azov Films made and distributed child pornography to customers worldwide. The company’s owner, Brian Way, 42, of Toronto, was arrested in May 2011 and is still in jail.

It’s believed the company paid people in Europe to create the films, exploiting children in the Ukraine and Romania.

Toronto Police sergeant Joanne Beaven says the internet has made it much easier for predators and companies like Azov films, to exploit children.

“predators used to send the movies through the mail and we would intercept them more easily. Now they’ve gone underground with the internet and all these people with the same sexual desires, predators, they can get together basically unknown in a covert way.”

“we’re working harder, we’re getting better, we have officers trained all around the world that are attacking these, we have the provincial strategy which has officers all across Ontario that are trained to the same levels, searching and seeking, being more proactive but by any means we haven’t, you know this is just the tip.”

Many police services across Ontario were involved in the investigation, including Hamilton and Halton police.

Here are some disturbing numbers. Police say 386 children, some as young as five years old, were rescued. They also say 40 school teachers, 32 people who volunteered with children, nine doctors and nurses, three pastors or priests, six law enforcement personnel, and three foster parents were arrested in Project Spade.