Skip to content
HighOnCity Ottawa
NEWS

Significant number of electronics seized in child exploitation case

A 73-year-old Ottawa man faces charges after police discovered multiple devices during a home search on June 4.

· 2 min read · HOC Ottawa Desk
★ FREE NEWSLETTER
Get the best of Ottawa–Gatineau in your inbox

The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.

A 73-year-old Ottawa man is facing charges related to child sexual abuse and exploitation following a police search of a south-end home that netted what officers described as a "significant number of electronic devices."

On June 4, the Internet Child Exploitation Unit executed a search warrant that led to the arrest and charging of Wilbert Reid Telfer. He has appeared in court.

The arrest marks one of the first cases leveraging Ottawa police's newest investigative tool: Piper, a two-year-old black Labrador trained to detect the scent of digital devices. Piper joined the service in December 2025 and has already been deployed in multiple investigations. She is trained to identify hard drives, USB sticks, SD cards, and AirTags—making her the first dog of her kind in the Ottawa Police Service, though Peel Regional Police introduced a similar dog, Harley, in 2023.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Ottawa police.

Best of Ottawa — ranked guides High On City — your city, every morning.