Three Alberta men amongst those charged in International Child Exploitation Investigation

2013

Edmonton… Three Alberta men are amongst the 341 people charged globally as part of a child exploitation investigation labeled “Project Spade” and initiated by Toronto Police Service.

The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) teams, with the assistance of Edmonton Police Service and Calgary Police Service, acted upon information received from Toronto Police and arrested three men and laid six charges:

Andrew Liu, 66-year-old Edmonton man: possession of child pornography;
Jonathon Robert Gerbrandt, 34-year-old Calgary man: possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography;
Kevin Michael Owad, 39-year-old Calgary man: possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, make available child pornography

Project Spade is a Toronto Police international investigation that began in October 20, 2010. The focus of the investigation was a Toronto man who allegedly operated a child exploitation movie production and distribution company, who then shared those videos with a global audience. Thirty-eight agencies from around the world were involved in the investigation and 386 children have been rescued from child exploitation.

Link to Toronto Police News Release: http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/pdfs/27981.pdf

Alberta’s ICE teams investigate the sexual exploitation of children through the Internet and works to reduce harm through public education and prevention programs.

ICE is an ALERT team established and funded by the Government of Alberta to bring together the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources to tackle serious and organized crime. Nearly 400 municipal police, RCMP and sheriffs work for ALERT.

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Media inquiries may be directed to:

S/Sgt. John Guigon
Southern Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit
Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT)
403-428-4901

Sgt. Mike Lokken
Northern Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit
Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT)
780-509-3362

Cst. Wendy Drummond
Toronto Police Service
416-808-7474