Manitoba RCMP recently rescued three girls under the age of six who were being sexually abused and exploited.Four men aged 37, 40, 42 and 56 were arrested. Three communities in southern Manitoba were involved in separate investigations. But the threat to children remains “prolific.”Monsters, monsters everywhere. During the investigations, tens of thousands of child pornography images were found by the Manitoba RCMP Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit.“This is four arrests and three children removed from traumatic situations in a span of only 10 days,” said Corporal Gord Olson with the ICE unit in a statement. “I wish I could say that this is a success, and it absolutely is in terms of getting these kids to safety, but it really is a drop in the bucket when it comes to the material we seized.”“I know people will be surprised at how much child sexual abuse and exploitation material we encountered, but the truth is, this problem is prolific. It is in every community and so many children are affected by it.”Suffer the children. Helpless little ones targetted by depraved predators who secretly do bad things to them are handed a haunting life sentence of horrific memories, an inability to emotionally heal.Those guilty of sexually abusing children to satisfy inexplicably sick urges, sometimes for profit, deserve no mercy. Or peace of mind. Be very afraid. No matter how devious you are, or what your status is — the law is coming for you. It is only a matter of time.The RCMP’s national child exploitation crime centre in Ottawa provided information to the province’s ICE unit that led to locating the men and executing some of the five search warrants near the end of March. The communities weren’t named to protect the identity of the three little girls.The four men have all been charged with distributing, uploading, and possessing child porn.The 42-year-old was also charged with sexual assault, sexual interference and making child pornography involving the three girls he knew. Olson urged parents to be aware of what their children’s activity on social media.But monsters, monsters are everywhere.Kevin Braun, 31, a former Manitoba teacher faces 33 months in jail for child luring. It involved a 14-year-old girl he met when he was a substitute Grade 7 teacher. Braun was married and expecting his first child, reported CTV News.He became the victim’s basketball coach and Grade 8 teacher and eventually exchanged thousands of social media messages.He was “grooming” her, Judge Cindy Sholdice told Provincial Court Tuesday.“He chose to exploit his position to groom a child knowing full well what he was doing was wrong and that there would be serious consequences if caught.”Manitoba First Nation Chief Christopher Traverse faces sexual assault, sexual interference and child pornography charges, Global News reported Wednesday. The alleged victim is an elementary school student..Winnipeg police arrested Traverse February 1 for offences that allegedly occurred last December. He’s scheduled to appear in court June 3.The Crown has asked for a 25-year prison sentence for Kelsey McKay, a former high school basketball coach who pleaded guilty last July to nine counts of sexual assault and two counts of luring.Winnipeg teacher Amanda Rachelle Sherrett was charged on April 8 with sexual assault, sexual exploitation and luring a person under age 18.On March 13, a 27-year-old Manitoba mom was arrested and faces multiple charges including allegedly sexually abusing her own infant then posting the videos on Twitter ("X").A 31-year-old Manitoba male was also arrested by the RCMP’s ice unit.It goes on.Some of the allegations have not been proven in court.Child victims of the accused, if proven guilty, aren’t at their mercy anymore.But how many others are out there yet to be rescued? How much of it is happening because the protectors aren’t paying attention as conniving predators target their children?Like Olson said, the exploitation and abuse are “prolific” No community is unaffected. But no cowardly predator who terrifies and robs children of their precious innocence is safe from the law either. Again, they will hunt you down.Until they do, tremble in angst and terror anticipating that bang on your door. It’s coming.
