KUDOS!!!!

By ALYSSA NOEL, SUN MEDIA

Staff Sgt. Howard Kunce from the Alberta Integrated Child Exploitation Unit talks about Project Salvo during a press conference at Edmonton Police Service headquarters yesterday. (DAVID BLOOM/Sun Media)

Four computers were seized from a St. Albert home this week in connection with the country's largest child porn bust, the province's Integrated Child Exploitation (ICE) unit announced yesterday.

The crackdown, dubbed Project Salvo, was a coast-to-coast effort to identify potential offenders who exchange images of children as young as infants online in Canada.

In total, 57 people were charged for allegedly swapping images of sexually abused children, 130 computers were seized and 99 charges were laid.

A number of children were removed from danger, police said, although they would provide no specifics.

The seized images range from infants with their umbilical cords still showing to 17-year-olds. The vast majority of child pornography, about 80%, depicts children under age eight, said Lianna McDonald, director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

Up to 40% of those images involve sexual assaults.
   

"We're dealing with a very dark side of human behaviour," said McDonald.

At least 20 more people are expected to be charged, investigators say. Four Alberta properties - including the St. Albert home and another in Calgary - were searched, but no one has been charged in Alberta yet, said Staff Sgt. Howard Kunce, with ICE. "The investigation is continuing and charges are expected to grow," Kunce said.

It will take a significant amount of time for investigators to sift through data from the seized computers. As a result, it could take a while for all the charges to be laid and victims to be identified.

The nationwide investigation was a collaborative effort with every ICE unit across the country, as well as several support agencies and local police services. The project began in November last year with searches and seizures carried out less than a week ago, Kunce said.

Challenges for investigators - who are seeing younger children becoming victims - grow with the size of hard drives and more technologically sophisticated criminals.

Kunce said a computer containing a million images of children being sexually abused is not uncommon. The most he's ever encountered was 1.5 million.

"It's always a game of catch-up for us," he said, adding ICE made the project a priority in recent months.

Investigators hope that the bust will prompt parents to talk to their children about online predators and monitor their Internet use carefully.

And if their child is sexually abused they need to report it. With early intervention, children can fully recover, said Staff Sgt. Todd Laycock, with Edmonton's Zebra Child Protection Centre.

"Parents need not fear their child is suffering irreparable, lifelong damages," he said. "If they're plugged into the right services there's no reason to believe they won't (heal)."

Meanwhile, Alberta's Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security Fred Lindsay applauded the investigation and said more funding is needed federally to catch criminals.

"Every time you look at a picture, a child is being abused and it's not acceptable," he said. "We will be putting the pressure on Ottawa because it's not only a national problem, it's international, so we do need the resources."

ALYSSA.NOEL@SUNMEDIA.CA

No Intervention by Guards who Watched.., see below short

film.

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?rn=222561&cl=12310028&ch=222566

By The Canadian Press
ADVERTISEMENT

OTTAWA - The mother of a young woman who committed suicide while her prison guards refused to intervene is demanding the officers who watched her die - and the "faceless bureaucrats" whose orders they followed - be held accountable for her death.

A tearful Coralee Smith held a news conference today to demand the federal government allow the correctional investigator to finish what he started and name those responsible for her daughter Ashley's death.

Criminal charges against four correctional officers were withdrawn in December.

Now Smith's mother and her lawyer have written Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan telling him there is no longer any excuse to withhold blame in the case.

The 19-year-old Moncton, N.B., native strangled herself at Grand Valley Institution for Women in October 2007 while seven guards stood back because they had been instructed not to intervene if she was still breathing.

Correctional investigator Howard Sapers reported Tuesday that Smith did not receive the care, treatment and protection she required.

Sapers said the incident continued a "disturbing and well-documented pattern of deaths in custody."

A "heartbroken" Coralee Smith says she feels her daughter died because "no one in Canada really cared."

Let's hope this young girl makes it home safe:::

 By DAVE DORMER, SUN MEDIA

Police are asking for the public's help in locating Jordan Knelsen-Long, 16.

PENHOLD -- Wearing blue pyjama bottoms and a black winter coat, a Penhold teenager apparently disappeared into thin air Thursday night following a routine trip to the store.

The truck Jordan Knelsen-Long, 16, drove to the Shell station in Penhold - about 135 km north of Calgary - for some snacks at 9:30 p.m., got home, said the teen's dad, Dave Long, but she hasn't been seen or heard from since.

Long found his daughter's truck parked outside the family's home, mere blocks from the store about 20 minutes after she left, with her keys on the passenger seat and the lights left on.

The girl's purse and things she bought at the store were also in the truck, but her wallet and cellphone were gone, said Long.

Knelsen-Long was sick and had stayed home from school on Thursday, and went to the store for a treat when she couldn't sleep, said Long.

When he saw the truck was parked outside but Knelsen-Long hadn't yet come inside, Long called her cellphone twice - a signal they use for important calls - then started to worry.
   

"I figured she'd come in the house already and gone upstairs," he said.

"Then I asked the wife and she said she didn't even know she was out and I thought, 'Oh my God.' "

Long started driving around the neighbourhood looking for any sign of his daughter and when that search turned up empty, the family called police about 11 p.m.

Malaki Davidson, 19, was working at the Shell station when Knelsen-Long came in.

RCMP have said they would like to talk to a man who was at the store around the same time.

"About five minutes after she left I went outside for a smoke and there was a guy sitting in a truck," said Davidson.

"I know it was a 4x4 and as soon as he saw me he took off, but that might not have anything to do with it."

Long said he was told by police a ping, or signal, from his daughter's cellphone was picked up by a tower in Red Deer - 16 km north of Penhold - between 2 and 3 a.m., around the same time the phone was apparently shut off.

There has also been no activity with her bank account since she was at the store.

Sgt. Patrick Webb said no Amber Alert was issued for Knelsen-Long because there was no vehicle associated with her disappearance.

"We have no suspect and no direction of travel so it does not qualify," said Webb, adding police are taking the girl's disappearance very seriously.

"So far, everything we have is very suspicious."

Long said his daughter is usually good about staying in contact with friends and family and this is totally out of character for her.

"She usually lets us know where she's going and if it's important," he said.

"She's usually wanting a little extra time so she's always good about calling or texting."

The teen has long, straight blond hair and is five-foot-five.

DAVE.DORMER@SUNMEDIA.CA

There are many children who work the streets, and these are some of them.

FBI rescues 48 child prostitutes
By Devlin Barrett, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
   

WASHINGTON - The FBI has rescued 48 suspected teenage prostitutes, some as young as 13 years old, in a countrywide sweep to remove kids from the illegal sex trade and punish their accused pimps.

Over a three-night initiative called Operation Cross Country, federal agents working with local law enforcement also arrested more than 571 suspects on a variety of federal and state prostitution-related charges, the bureau said.

The teenage prostitutes found in the investigation ranged in age from 13 to 17.

"We may not be able to return their innocence but we can remove them from this cycle of abuse and violence," said FBI director Robert Mueller.

Meanwhile, in Memphis, Tenn., a man pleaded guilty Monday to federal civil rights charges for sex trafficking in minors. Leonard Fox faces at least 10 years in prison after admitting that he arranged for underaged girls to engage in sex for money.

"To sexually prey upon young girls in this manner for financial gain is particularly damaging to the victims and an affront to the society in which we live," said Loretta King, acting head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.

Historically, federal authorities rarely play a role in anti-prostitution crackdowns, but the FBI is becoming more involved as it tries to rescue children caught up in the business.

"The goal is to recover kids. We consider them the child victims of prostitution," said FBI deputy assistant director Daniel Roberts.

"Unfortunately, the vast majority of these kids are what they term 'throwaway kids,' with no family support, no friends. They're kids that nobody wants, they're loners. Many are runaways," Roberts said.

Most of the children are put into the custody of local child protection agencies.

Agents in cities from Miami to Chicago to Anchorage took part in the operation.

Special Agent Melissa Morrow of the FBI's Washington office said the operation has put them on the trail of a particular 16-year-old prostitute they still haven't found.

Adult prostitutes arrested during the operation provided key tips about the girl, the agent said.

"She is currently 16 and started when she was 13. Now she is out there recruiting other juveniles as well," said Morrow, adding that finding the girl is "at the top of our list."

The federal effort is also designed to hit pimps with much tougher prison sentences than they would likely get in state criminal courts.

Government prosecutors look to bring racketeering charges or conspiracy charges that can result in decades of jail time.

"Some of these networks of pimps and their organizations are very sophisticated, they're interstate," said Roberts.

How do these creeps find each other? They all need severe Jail time. They took a vulnerable man, and nearly killed him. Sick!!


February 19, 2009
Four charged in 'disgusting' torture
By TAMARA CHERRY
   

TORONTO -- A fourth person has been charged in the confinement, torture and sexual assault of a mentally disabled man who was held for weeks before being found near death in a Hamilton apartment, police said yesterday.

"I've been on (the job) for 32 years and worked in a lot of different areas, and this is certainly one of the most disgusting and disturbing incidents that I've ever seen," said Hamilton Police Supt. Bill Stewart.

The 22-year-old victim was lured to an Aurora St. apartment, near Clarence Access and Charlton Ave. E., by at least one "casual acquaintance," Stewart said.

"He was held there for at least three weeks against his will. During that time, he was beaten and burned (and) suffered a fractured skull. He had injuries and burns to many parts of his body," he said. "He was bound at different times of the ordeal."

Police initially charged three men -- Stanley Brown, 30, Nathaniel Jug, 22, and Dakota Thompson, 20 -- with aggravated assault and forcible confinement.

AGGRAVATED SEX ASSAULT

On Tuesday, a 17-year-old, who can't be named, was added to the list of those facing charges.

Police also laid charges of aggravated sexual assault, robbery and threatening death against the accused.

Investigators alleged the victim's captors called police to the apartment building about an attempted break-in to one of the units last Saturday. Officers were "shocked" to find the victim nearly dead inside, Stewart said.

"The officers were told by a doctor that had he not been taken to hospital and received treatment, that there was a good likelihood that he could have succumbed to his injuries within the next couple days," he said.

Stewart struggled when asked about a motive for the alleged ordeal.

"They forced the victim to turn over bank information and did withdraw money from his account, but a lot of the things they did to the accused were not robbery related. They just beat and tortured him for who knows what reasons," he said.

The victim lives alone in Hamilton, Stewart said, adding that the man's mother lives out of town. The victim was recovering in hospital yesterday.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2009/02/20/8471481.html

Keeping them in jail is not easy, and the cops aren't happy.

By ANDREW HANON
   

One day after Edmonton police Chief Mike Boyd announced a crackdown on muggings in the city, the head of the cops? union received an email from one of his frustrated members.

The cop told Sgt. Tony Simioni that last week he had arrested a woman and charged her with stealing an 84-year-old?s purse.

But when they ran the suspect?s name in their computer system, they could barely believe what came up on the screen.

The 43-year-old, who admitted that she?s a chronic drug addict, already has more than 100 criminal convictions dating back to 1984, mostly in connection with victimizing the elderly.

This was the third time she?d been charged since being released from jail on Dec. 8.

To top it off, the woman had a laundry list of ?interim release undertakings,? which are given to people as conditions of being let out on bail.

In other words, the woman had been charged, released on bail, charged again, released again, over and over.

?I stopped counting when I reached 12 orders,? the arresting officer said in the email to Simioni.

?We kept arresting her and bringing her in,? Simioni said. ?They kept adding conditions and releasing her.?

It?s clear from the woman?s record that she?ll do nearly anything to feed her habit.

Her convictions include assault, theft, personation, fraud and obstruction. She?s been nailed for failing to comply with conditions of her release from jail, failure to appear in court and being unlawfully at large.

One of her favourite grifts is to show up on a senior citizen?s doorstep, tell a sob story about her car breaking down and then ask to come in and use their phone. She sweet-talks her way into their bedrooms, where she grabs whatever jewelry, cash or other valuables she can get her hands on.

?When they interviewed her, she readily admitted that she preferred to prey on seniors because they?re easy targets and don?t offer much resistance,? Simioni said yesterday.

Perversely, Simioni could not divulge the name of the woman because of privacy laws.

But she?s a perfect example of how police themselves feel handcuffed by the justice system.

?The chief?s plan (to crack down on muggers) is laudable,? Simioni said, ?but we can?t do this in isolation.?

Personal robberies in Edmonton have shot up 30% this year, prompting Boyd to announce on Wednesday that police will step up presence on the streets, both in-uniform and undercover. Dog teams, Air-1 and even tactical units will be used, he vowed.

?We?re going to throw everything we have ? by way of resources ? at this issue,? Boyd said.

And that, Simioni said, is the problem.

?It?s reasonable for the public to expect the police to protect them from these people,? he said. ?We?re doing our part.?

Simioni used a (former chief) ?Fred Rayner-ism,? comparing police attempts to catch small-time criminals and keep them behind bars to ?trying to put a double-sized sheet on a queen-sized mattress. You pull one side on and the other side comes off. It just keeps going back and forth.?

In recent months several measures have been announced to help keep habitual, career criminals behind bars. Among them: Crown prosecutors whose only job is handling bail hearings and a team of police officers to help them gather the necessary information.

However, Simioni said, some of the measures have yet to be implemented so it?s not yet known if they?ll be effective.

?We?re hopeful, but we haven?t seen it yet,? he said. ?They certainly didn?t come in time to help the 84-year-old woman whose purse was stolen.?

One final note: It?s believed that after she was charged last week, the 43-year-old was finally denied bail. Must be a 13-strike rule.

andrew.hanon@sunmedia.ca

Police are investigating the fire to a mobile home, as well as the remains, they deem suspicious.

Anyone from Edson area, know anything concerning this? It is today's paper. Thx...


 By SUN MEDIA
   

Edson RCMP are investigating after human remains were found at the site of a mobile home fire near that town on Valentine's Day.

Emergency crews were called to a structure fire near the Rosevear Ferry at around 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Once the fire was extinguished, responders found human remains in the debris.

Police are not sure how the victim died, or who it is, but are treating the incident as suspicious.

The cause of the fire also continues to be under investigation.