Members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, Digital Forensics Unit and Hawkesbury detachment
members have arrested and charged a resident following a child sexual exploitation investigation.
On February 10, 2023, police executed a search warrant in Hawkesbury and seized a quantity of suspected drugs and electronic devices. As a result of this investigation, a 35-year-old Andrew Smith was arrested and charged with:
• Possession of Child Pornography, as per section 163.1(4) of the Criminal
Code
• Fail to Comply with a Release Order, as per section 145(5)(a) of the Criminal
Code
• Possession of a Schedule III Substance, as per Section 4(1) of the Controlled
Drugs and Substance Act
• Possession of a Schedule I Substance, as per section 4(1) of the Controlled
Drugs and Substance Act – three counts
The accused remains in custody following a bail hearing and was scheduled to appear on February 14, 2023 at the Ontario Court of Justice in L’Orignal.
Children are our most valuable and precious members of society. Many victims of child sexual abuse are so young that they cannot tell their
story. Every time an image or video depicting that abuse is shared, that child is re-victimized.
The OPP will continue to aggressively identify and pursue individuals who use technology to exploit children. Parents are reminded to take a proactive approach to help protect their children from online sexual exploitation by speaking with their children regarding Internet safety. Parents can find resources to assist them at cybertip.ca or protectchildren.ca. If you have information regarding internet child exploitation and wish to provide information anonymously you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca. Reporting information may also be made on the internet through cybertip.ca
