An Alberta man is among 28 suspects arrested globally following a massive international child sexual exploitation investigation led by authorities in Norway.
Read more: Lloyd Ex Fair packs schedule with new events
The investigation, dubbed Operation Torch, targeted suspects across 14 countries who allegedly used cryptocurrency to purchase access to dark web forums containing child sexual abuse material.
Rocco Caterina, 40, was arrested at his Stony Plain, Alta., home on May 27 by ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation unit. He has been charged with possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation materials.
According to a statement released Wednesday by the Norwegian National Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS), investigators tracked individuals worldwide who paid for access to the illicit services. Police allege Caterina paid for entry to a dark web platform and accessed child sexual abuse materials.
“We have collaborated closely with law enforcement services in 13 other countries in order to coordinate the arrests of the identified users of the forums using this cryptocurrency as the required method of payment,” said Terje Michelsen, a police prosecutor with the Norwegian NCIS, in a statement.
The co-ordinated international effort has so far resulted in arrests in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania and Sweden.
Caterina has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear in an Alberta court on July 15.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
ALERT is an Alberta government-funded compilation of the province’s specialized law enforcement units tasked with tackling serious and organized crime.
Read more: Vic Juba theatre celebrates busy year, infrastructure projects loom
