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Content warning: This story contains references to child sexual exploitation and may be distressing for some readers.
CALGARY — Alberta’s Internet Child Exploitation unit says investigators have uncovered one of the largest collections of child sexual abuse material the specialized police team has encountered following the arrest of an Okotoks man.
ALERT said more than 500,000 photos and videos depicting child sexual exploitation were seized from multiple computers and hard drives during a search of a home in Okotoks on May 26.
Police allege the material belonged to 35-year-old Corey Airhart.
Airhart has been charged with possession of child pornography and accessing child pornography.
Investigators say the collection ranks among the largest ever discovered by ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation unit.
Staff Sgt. Gordon MacDonald said the scale of the collection highlights the ongoing demand driving online child exploitation.
“Behind every one of the photos and videos is a real child somewhere in this world that is being exploited for a sexual purpose,” MacDonald said.
“A collection of this size is deeply disturbing, as it would have also likely been used to trade and fuel demand.”
The investigation began in January after information was provided by the RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre regarding the alleged online uploading of child sexual exploitation material.
Okotoks RCMP assisted ALERT investigators during the case.
Police noted the size of the seizure in the context of broader provincial enforcement efforts. ALERT says investigators identified 622,150 photos and videos containing child sexual exploitation material across all Internet Child Exploitation investigations conducted in Alberta over the past year.
Airhart was released from custody following his arrest and is scheduled to appear in court in Okotoks on Aug. 8.
Police are asking anyone with information related to the investigation to contact local law enforcement or Crime Stoppers.
The charges have not been proven in court.
If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, or know a child who may be at risk, support is available. Concerns can be reported to local police, the RCMP at 310-RCMP, National Child Exploitation Crime Centre, or Alberta’s Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-387-KIDS (5437), which operates 24 hours a day. Online child sexual exploitation can also be reported through Cybertip.ca, Canada’s national tip line for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children
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