Atlantic Canada child exploitation bust nets 22 arrests

Twenty-two men were arrested and two children were rescued from harm after a major child exploitation bust in Atlantic Canada.

RCMP officers said theylaid 64 charges, seized 43 computers and found millions of images during Operation Snapshot II, which targeted child predators in the four Atlantic provinces.

The men face a range of charges, including accessing child pornography, possession of child pornography, making available child pornography, making child pornography, and voyeurism.

Police said more arrests and charges are likely.

"These are horrible images," said Toronto police officer Chris Purchase.

The suspects range in age from 22-years-old to 63. Six of the people were from rural Nova Scotia and three were from the Halifax region.

The arrests also include four men from New Brunswick, according to RCMP Cpl. Chantal Farrah.

One of the 22charged men was a registered sex offender. Another worked with children.

"The majority of our offenders are individuals who have never had a parking ticket," said Purchase.

Police said all of the victims are young children. One of the rescued children is from central Newfoundland and the other is from Nova Scotia but police said they won't release more details.

The sting, which started in April, is a follow up to Operation Snapshot which targeted offenders in the Prairies, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.