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Precedent-setting Child Pornography Charges Laid Following Lengthy Probe of Toronto-based Firm

Five people have been charged after the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) concluded an investigation involving Ontario-based supplier of millions of child pornography images and videos.

At a news conference, Commissioner Thomas CARRIQUE and Detective Inspector David MacDONALD were joined by representatives from the Toronto Police Service and the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations to conclude two investigative projects and announce the precedent-setting charges.

Beginning in October of 2012 with a complaint to the Toronto Police Service, Project Greenwell became a complex, multi-national criminal investigation that first looked at those who uploaded and downloaded images and video files to what could be called a “big box store” of child pornography, with users in at least 116 different countries. The servers were housed at a business in Toronto known as YesUp Media. A subsequent investigation – Project Blackheath – targeted the operators of the business who knowingly facilitated the sharing of these images for profit. There were 60,000 registered users in at least 116 different countries and at least 19,013 users purchased 30-day premium memberships.

As a result, police have charged five people associated with the operation of YesUp Media with a total of 11 offences as follows:

Zhen He (Patrick) ZENG, aged 40 years of Richmond Hill:

  • Make Available Child Pornography (Sec. 163.1 (3) of the Criminal Code);
  • Possession of Child Pornography (Sec. 163.1 (4) of the Criminal Code);
  • Duty to Report to Police per Section 3 of An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service.

 

Zhen Yu (Jeff) ZENG, aged 42 years of Richmond Hill:

  • Duty to Report to Police per Section 3 of An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service.

 

Chin Choi (Peter) KOK, aged 52 years of Richmond Hill:

  • Make Available Child Pornography (Sec. 163.1 (3) of the Criminal Code);
  • Possession of Child Pornography (Sec. 163.1 (4) of the Criminal Code);
  • Duty to Report to Police per Section 3 of An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service.

 

Sui Hua (Jeff) YE, aged 47 years of Aurora:

  • Make Available Child Pornography (Sec. 163.1 (3) of the Criminal Code);
  • Possession of Child Pornography (Sec. 163.1 (4) of the Criminal Code).

 

Wen (Larry) LI, aged 31 years of Toronto:

  • Make Available Child Pornography (Sec. 163.1 (3) of the Criminal Code);
  • Possession of Child Pornography (Sec. 163.1 (4) of the Criminal Code).

 

Five accused are scheduled to appear at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice at 1000 Finch Avenue West in Toronto on August 1, 2019. They have been released with undertakings from the court, including surrendering their passports, remaining within the province of Ontario, and prohibitions from engaging in a business or enterprise with any party that has been the subject of a complaint with respect to child pornography.

QUOTES

“I’m proud of the leadership being demonstrated to address the webhosts and administrators who – in Canada – have a legal duty and a responsibility to respond when they are made aware that illegal content is being trafficked through their infrastructure. Not only have police reduced the number of ‘customers’ who abuse children online, we’ve removed the platform that held their monstrous content.” – Commissioner Thomas CARRIQUE, Ontario Provincial Police

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) partners closely with our Canadian counterparts to combat the sexual exploitation of children as part of an overall global law enforcement community effort. Through joint operations, such as Project Greenwell and Project Blackheath, HSI works closely with Canadian partners, such as the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Toronto Police Service (TPS) to arrest child predators and rescue victims of this egregious offense. Based on the leads provided to HSI from OPP and TPS, HSI initiated over 50 criminal investigations and arrested multiple child predators in the United States.”- Michael E. BUCKLEY – United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations – Ottawa Attaché

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