Police have laid 43 new charges, representing a total of 46 criminal charges, against an accused linked to an ongoing investigation of child pornography and online child luring.
The initial investigation by members of the Thunder Bay Police Service’s Cyber Crimes Unit began in March 2019 after officers received information about suspected child pornography being uploaded by a local Internet user.
That investigation led to an arrest in June of 2019. Police arrested and charged then-25-year-old Thunder Bay man Skyler Jay KING following a search of a home in the 200 block of McKibbin Street. He was then charged with Possession of Child Pornography, and Importing and Distributing Child Pornography x 2.
Members of the Cyber Crimes Unit continued to gather new evidence in this case, which was complex and spanned nearly a year in duration.
This work led to the discovery the accused was linked to cases involving a variety of criminal acts including child luring and making child pornography available.
Multiple social media platforms were confirmed as being used by the accused amid these cases, and more than 200 victims were identified.
Victims identified through this investigation lived in countries spanning North America, Europe and Asia.
Skyler Jay KING, 26, of Thunder Bay, is charged with:
• Luring a child under 18 s.172.1(a) x 19
• Luring a child under 16 s.172.1(b) x 8
• Make Sexually Explicit Material Available to a child s.171.1(1)(b)
• Distribute CP s 163.1(3) x 2
• Make Child Pornography s.163.1(2) x 9
• Voyeurism s 162(1)(c)
• Possession of CP s.163.1(4) x 2
• Accessing CP s.163.1(4.1)
KING appeared in bail court on Wednesday, May 6 and was remanded into custody with a future appearance date of Thursday, May 7.