Convicted sex offender gets 12-month sentence after Niagara police find child sexual abuse images on seized devices
“Once a child abuse image has been posted online, it’s there presumably forever, and it’s all too common that persons access these images,” a judge said.
A Welland man, 39, pleads guilty to possessing child sexual abuse and exploitation materials. He receives a 12-month jail sentence.
A convicted sex offender who had a collection of more than 100 images of child sexual abuse material has been sentenced to a year in jail.
“Children are perhaps the single most vulnerable group of persons in any given community,” Judge Andrew Brown said in an Ontario court of justice in St. Catharines on Friday.
Johnnathon Barlow, 39, pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse and exploitation materials. He received a 12-month jail sentence.
He was given credit for the amount of time he had spent in presentence custody, which reduced the time he has left to serve to just more than 200 days.
In May 2026, court was told, information was relayed to police by an internet service provider regarding concerns that a customer had downloaded a number of files that contained images of child sexual abuse.
Detectives with the Niagara Regional Police internet child exploitation unit used a warrant at a Welland residence the following month and seized several electronic devices.
Police were able to recover more than 100 images and two videos that met the definition of child sexual abuse.
“The internet, unfortunately, has provided a means by which persons like Mr. Barlow can victimize children,” the judge said “And, victimization occurs, unfortunately, all too regularly.
“Once a child abuse image has been posted online, it’s there presumably forever, and it’s all too common that persons access these images.”
Court was told Barlow was convicted of a sex-related offence in 2016. For that crime, he was sentenced to 18 months in custody.
Court was told Barlow has a number of mental health issues and possibly a learning disability.
“That is not an excuse for this criminal act, but it provides some context,” the judge said.
The offender was also placed on probation for three years
Kamloops man charged after police in France flag child sex abuse material
Charged after overseas tip
A Kamloops man is facing child sexual abuse material charges after police in France flagged the alleged distribution of illegal photos and videos overseas.
Prosecutors say the investigation began after French National Police reported child sexual abuse material being distributed in their jurisdiction, prompting Kamloops Mounties to obtain a search warrant.
The warrant was executed in March 2024, resulting in the seizure of a laptop and a cellphone, among other electronic devices.
Crown prosecutor Dan McLaughlin said investigators examined the devices and allegedly found files connected to the information provided by French police.
"There has been extensive use of not only photographic images but videos which have been downloaded and distributed,” he said.
The allegations were outlined Monday during a bail hearing in Kamloops provincial court.
Charges of importing or distributing child sex material and possessing child sex material were laid in July against 43-year-old Justin Leonard Allan Douglas.
He was arrested recently in St. Albert, Alta., while police there investigated an unrelated theft complaint.
Douglas was granted bail on Monday, ordered to abide by a long list of strict conditions.
Among other restrictions, he is prohibited from accessing the internet except in limited circumstances, using anonymizing browsers or accessing the dark web. He is also prohibited from having contact with children under 16 and from attending places where children are expected to be present.
Douglas is due back in Kamloops provincial court on Oct. 8.
RCMP warns of scam emails accusing Islanders of online child sex abuse
'This is meant to maximize the fear … the anxiety in their victims'
Police are alerting Islanders to an email scam involving false accusations of internet crimes against children.
The emails appear to be from the RCMP, and say the person receiving it is under investigation for visiting banned websites tied to child sexual abuse material.
The scammer tells the recipient they will be registered as a sex offender and have their name on TV if they do not pay a fine.
"This is meant to maximize the fear … the anxiety in their victims. To accuse somebody to be involved in this type of material makes victims extremely anxious," said Cpl. Gavin Moore, media relations officer for the P.E.I. RCMP.
"The hope is that when people are knocked off balance like this, that they will react before they think."
Moore said police will never issue legal notices by email and any fines are always payable at a courthouse, not directly to police. He said this type of scam has been going on for years, though he’s unaware of any victims who have actually sent money as a result of the emails.
Moore said scammers can reach thousands of people over email at once and inexpensively.
"This is fraudsters who make a living by defrauding victims," Moore told CBC News. "Even if a very small percentage of those who receive this believe it is real, they still are able to extract funds."
The scam emails typically use legal jargon, police designs and cite real laws to appear legitimate.
Moore said Islanders should be wary of any emails that seem to be from RCMP. He said police will meet with a person face-to-face when serving criminal charges so they can confirm before a court that a document was actually served.
"It’s important to stop, to take a breath and ask yourself, is it possible that this is a scam?" Moore said.
He said Islanders should report any suspected scams to local police.
Sherwood Park man accused of using AI to make sex abuse material of children he knows
Posted September 29, 2026 1:11 pm.
Authorities say a 51-year-old man from Sherwood Park used artificial intelligence to turn social media photos and videos of children he knew into child sexual abuse materials.
The man was charged last Friday by ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit. ICE believes there are multiple victims.
The same accused was previously arrested by ICE on June 25 following reports that he shared child sexual abuse materials online. At the time he was charged with possessing, accessing, and transmitting child sexual abuse materials.
Following that first arrest, authorities seized computers and electronic devices from his home.
Posted September 29, 2026 1:11 pm.
Authorities say a 51-year-old man from Sherwood Park used artificial intelligence to turn social media photos and videos of children he knew into child sexual abuse materials.
The man was charged last Friday by ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit. ICE believes there are multiple victims.
The same accused was previously arrested by ICE on June 25 following reports that he shared child sexual abuse materials online. At the time he was charged with possessing, accessing, and transmitting child sexual abuse materials.
Following that first arrest, authorities seized computers and electronic devices from his home.
“ICE discovered an extensive collection of manufactured child sexual abuse materials,” police said in a news release.
Christoper Kalbfleisch was released from custody with court-imposed conditions including not to have any communication with anyone under the age of 16, and not to attend public pools, schools, playgrounds, or public libraries. He is scheduled to appear in court in Strathcona County on Oct. 16.
The allegations against him have not been tested in court.
