Okotoks man charged with possessing over 500,000 child abuse images
One of the largest collections ever found by Alberta police was seized from an Okotoks home. The suspect was released and is set to appear in court in August.
An Okotoks man has been charged after police seized more than 500,000 child sexual exploitation photos and videos from his home — one of the largest collections ever recovered by Alberta law enforcement.
Corey Airhart, 35, of Okotoks, faces charges of possessing and accessing child sexual abuse materials. The collection was found on multiple hard drives and computers during the investigation.
The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams' Internet Child Exploitation Unit confirmed the seizure size puts it among the biggest discoveries in the unit's history. By comparison, the unit has found 622,150 total images and videos across all provincial investigations combined.
"A collection of this size is deeply disturbing, as it would have also likely been used to trade and fuel demand," Staff Sergeant Gordon MacDonald said in a statement Wednesday.
The investigation began in January after the RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre flagged the suspect for uploading child sexual exploitation materials. Okotoks RCMP assisted with the investigation.
Airhart was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in Okotoks court on August 8. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.