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Det.-Const. Janelle Blackadar explained that Toronto Police were contacted by the U.K.’s National Crime Agency after their 2014 discovery of a group of offenders who were involved in child sex abuse online, one of whom was a Toronto resident.

“The abuses were not only recorded and distributed, but often took place in live-streaming events where others could actively participate, encourage and direct the sexual abuse of these children,” she said.

Officers here began an undercover investigation that resulted in the arrest of Marc Leonard on related offences and police say the 41-year-old has since been convicted.

Blackadar said that arrest led police to others involved in the distribution of child abuse material and Project Mercury was launched as perpetrators in other Canadian provinces, across the U.S. and in Europe were identified.

Then in July 2015, she said, undercover officers in Toronto “observed the live abuse of a six-year-old child over the Internet.”

“The sexual abuse of this child occurred not only for the sexual gratification of the abuser himself, but also to satisfy the requests from those online who then actively encouraged the abuse while it was happening live,” Blackadar said. “Unfortunately, this was not the first time this had happened, but I can tell you it was the last.”

The abuser was identified in Pennsylvania and within hours, the child was rescued by U.S. authorities, she said, adding several participants were also identified in the U.S. and the U.K.