Global pedophile ring probe nets 2 Canadian charges

Two Canadian men have been charged in connection withan alleged internationalpedophile ring based in the Netherlands that involved the rescue of 230 children.

The charges in Ontario and Saskatchewan come as police in Europe said Wednesday they had rescued the child victims of abuse and arrested 184 suspects, part of a three-year investigation involving law enforcement officials from 13 countries, including Canada.

Philip Publuske, 40,has been charged with one count of possessing child pornography and one count of distributing child pornography, Waterloo RegionalPolice spokesman Olaf Heinzel told CBC News.

Publuske, who has been in custody since November,has a lengthy criminalrecord, including forsexual assault and possession of child pornography, police said.

Meanwhile, Saskatoon police saidDavid JohnLapage, 68, of Abernethy, Sask., has been charged with accessing child pornography,possessing child pornographyand making child pornography available.

There wasno word yeton whether any of the victims or other suspects are Canadian, but police said 670 suspects have been identified around the world.

Europol, the European Union police agency, said the investigation code-named Operation Rescue has identified and rescued children in more than 30 countries.

The alleged ring was based around an online forum and was "probably the largest online pedophile network in the world," Europol director Rob Wainwright said Wednesday.

The forum,based in Amsterdam, had up to 70,000 members, police said.