Nearly 1,400 “Kidflix” child pornography streaming platform users have been identified, including two Canadians, after the international platform was shut down in a coordinated, global police effort.
The investigation by Europol, led by the State Criminal Police of Bavaria, involved 35 countries and has led to the shutdown of Kidflix.
It has identified 1,393 suspects globally, and 79 have been arrested.
The Kidflix server was seized by German and Dutch authorities on March 11, Europol said. The server contained about 72,000 videos at the time, according to investigators.
“The digital dimension has driven a rapid evolution in online child sexual exploitation, offering offenders a borderless platform to contact and groom victims, as well as to create, store, and exchange child sexual abuse material,” Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said.
She said it was not just a technical or cyber issue. “There are real victims behind these crimes, and those victims are children. As a society, we must act to protect our children.”
The investigation started in 2022 and is considered one of the largest operations of its kind by Europol.
More than 3,000 electronic devices have been seized so far, the release said.
One of those arrested and charged as a result of the investigation is Regina resident Edmund James Bellegarde Jr., 23.
The Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit was notified in February of the international police operation, Operation Stream. They were informed that Bellegarde Jr. was a user of the Kidflix platform, according to a Saskatoon Police Service news release.
Investigators executed a search warrant at a home in Regina on March 27, where they seized several electronic devices from the home.
Bellegarde Jr. has been charged with possession of child pornography and accessing child pornography.
He has been released on conditions and is scheduled to appear in court on May 14.
The ICE Unit is made up of members of the Saskatchewan RCMP, Regina Police Service, Saskatoon Police Service, and Prince Albert Police Service.
On March 10, Edmonton’s ICE unit executed a search warrant at a southeast Edmonton home where various electronic devices were seized, police said.
Police have not released the suspect’s name, but the individual has been charged with possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, and distributing child pornography.
The suspect has been released and is scheduled to appear in court on April 14.
Kidflix was developed in 2021, according to Europol, who said the cybercriminal behind it “made a huge profit,” and it became one of the most popular platforms for paedophiles, according to the release.
Europol said there were 91,000 unique videos uploaded and shared on the platform while it was active, for a total viewing time of 6,288 hours.
The platform saw about 3.5 new videos uploaded every hour, police said.
