UOIT, KINSA and Chilean delegation join forces in the global fight against child pornography

Organizations sharing information,best practices during weeklong series of meetings

OSHAWA, Ont. - Five police officers and five prosecutors from Chile travelled to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology's (UOIT) Oshawa, Ontario campus this week for a series of meetings hosted by UOIT and sponsored by the Kids' Internet Safety Alliance (KINSA). The meetings are part of a global effort to combat the abuse of children that occurs through the international trade of child pornography over the Internet.

Topics up for discussion include the forensic interviewing of children, notetaking and case preparation, image analysis, computer forensics and legal issues. In addition, members of the National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre (NCECC) in Ottawa, Ontario are providing an overview of the Canadian initiatives currently underway to combat child exploitation.

Paul Gillespie, UOIT's cybercrime director-in-residence and vice-chair of KINSA, is facilitating the meetings and NCECC officers are assisting with information sharing, which will help Chilean officials become aware of the latest investigative methods available to track down online predators and build and maintain long-term relationships with the Canadian law enforcement community.

"UOIT is extremely pleased to be welcoming the Chilean delegation as it is providing everyone involved with an important opportunity to share information and collaborate about this most critical and important battle - protecting children in Canada, Chile and around the globe from unimaginable harm by the predators who exploit them via the Internet," said Gillespie, a former detective sergeant with the Toronto Police Service's Sex Crimes Unit.

UOIT's commitment to playing a key role in the international effort to combat cybercrime includes faculty members working with Gillespie on research projects such as the development of a new computer program that will allow Internet service providers (ISP) to detect and identify individuals who are attempting to distribute child pornography via the Internet. Researchers are also continuing to look at new programs and technologies that will provide essential tools to assist law enforcement agencies and security experts with identifying, apprehending and prosecuting cybercriminals in Canada and throughout the world.

In addition, UOIT's innovative Hacker Research Lab is being used to provide the Chilean visitors with a demonstration of the Child Exploitation Tracking System (CETS), software developed by Microsoft Canada in partnership with Canadian law enforcement officials and led by Gillespie.

CETS is being used by law enforcement agencies at 30 locations in Canada and is responsible for linking together numerous national and international investigations and rescuing children in several countries. Along with Canada, it is being employed in Indonesia, Italy, the United Kingdom and Brazil, while partnerships are being developed in other countries. CETS has been involved in the arrest of 64 people worldwide and, more importantly, in the identification and rescue of 43 previously unreported child victims of sexual abuse.

"Kinsa is dedicated to eliminating the online sexual exploitation of children and youth," said Bill Hutchison, chairman of KINSA. "One of our main goals is to assist foreign law enforcement officials with accessing the training they need, enabling them to better track down predators and identify and rescue children who may be in harm's way."

KINSA advocates for Canada continuing to take a leading role in the fight against child pornography through high-quality worldwide training to ensure this borderless crime is addressed in a comprehensive and collaborative manner. In addition to training law enforcement officials in the use of CETS, KINSA supports greater inter-agency collaboration amongst justice partners and industry members and promotes and provides training and networking opportunities for those partners to maximize the potential for collaboration.

Gillespie was recently appointed UOIT's first cybercrime director-in-residence. He has worked tirelessly with Microsoft, Interpol, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.K.'s National Crime Squad to stop the Internet exploitation of children.

About UOIT
As an innovative university, UOIT delivers a leading-edge learning environment that uniquely combines academic knowledge, research opportunities, hands-on skills and a vibrant student life. UOIT's 4,300 students are taught by professors who are experts in their fields from around the world. As Ontario's first laptop-based university, the university offers more than 30 challenging undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of Business and Information Technology, Criminology, Justice and Policy Studies, Education, Engineering, Energy Systems and Nuclear Science, Health Sciences, and Science. UOIT's commitment to research excellence has resulted in millions of dollars in grants and awards, including five Canada Research Chairs. To find out more, visit www.uoit.ca or call 905.721.8668.

About Ontario Tech University
A modern, forwarding-thinking university, Ontario Tech advances the discovery and application of knowledge to accelerate economic growth, regional development and social innovation. We inspire and equip our students and our graduates to make a positive impact in a tech-focused world. For us, it’s not only about developing the next tech breakthrough. Understanding and integrating the social and ethical implications of technology differentiates us as university. Learn more at ontariotechu.ca.

Media contact
Tony Doyle
Communications and Marketing
Ontario Tech University
905.721.8668 ext. 2209
tony.doyle@uoit.ca