On-line Sex Assault
Toronto Police are asking for your help if you can provide them with any information. Contact them at 416-808-8500, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.222tips.com.
Toronto man charged in online sex assault case
Source: toronto.ctv.ca
The Toronto man charged in the alleged live Internet molestation of a seven-year-old girl is a part-time correctional services worker and volunteer soccer coach in the Greater Toronto Area.
Matthew Hughes, 26, is charged with making available child pornography, possession of child pornography and sexual interference. He is to appear at the Finch Avenue courts on Tuesday.
Investigators are having trouble identifying the young victim who police say is not related to the suspect, as originally thought.
"We believe that she's obviously in Toronto and (she is someone) this accused person allegedly had access to, but outside of that we have no idea," sex crimes unit Det. Const. Warren Bulmer said at a morning press conference.
Toronto police made an arrest after receiving information from the Woodlake Police Department in California and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
A phone sex worker called Woodlake police Nov. 26 after she said she witnessed a man she was communicating with sexually assault a girl over his webcam.
The man called the phone sex worker back four days later. The following day, on Dec.1, police were able to gather information about the suspect's whereabouts and called Toronto police.
Officers arrested the suspect later that day at his Toronto home and seized his computer.
"If these are allegations are true -- this is the sexual assault of a seven-year-old child and she's going to need help," Bulmer said.
"She's going to need something, whether it's medical attention or psychological assistance"
Investigators believe there could be more victims.
"I always believe there's more than one victim out there. When you're talking about an alleged predator who has sexually offended on a child, and those are the allegations, you can't keep tunnel vision and only focus on the one child," Bulmer told reporters.
"You have to make sure that you cover all the angles and there wasn't other children and that's part of the process of going through the computer."
Police are asking anyone who knows the accused, or has had children in his care, to contact them at 416-808-8500, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.222tips.com.
The accused here is a part-time correctional services worker says the news source. In guard-talk that means he is a casual. Ontario Corrections hires individuals initially as casuals before they can become
full-time guards. Back when I started in 1980 it was not totally in effect as I started full-time, but I was not 26 years old like the accused - I was 35 and just a tad more mature and ready to take on the responsibilities inherent to the job.
In my 23 year stay in Corrections I worked in three jails, dealt with the worst kind of human being to folks like you and me, and sat back and watched a steady parade of younger and younger people being hired to do the job.
I've been fortunate to have worked with many totally committed jail guards and unfortunate to have known a few dirty jail guards.
The accused was employed at the Mimico Detention Centre in Toronto. I was there a few times transferring inmates and I know too well that the place is a zoo to work. But - that is no excuse. If this guy is found to be guilty then he better be jailed in a very remote place. Inmates don't like guards and having one on their range is an open invitation to a bloodletting.
I won't be very popular with casuals making this statement, but Ontario Corrections should wait until folks have a little more hair under their armpits before hiring them to do a job that requires maturity and common sense.
