IN 2019, the New Westminster Police’s Major Crime Unit began an investigation into child pornography being uploaded to the internet by a New Westminster resident. The Major Crime Unit made an arrest in April 2020.

Since his arrest and charge approval, 51-year-old Scott Harrison has pled guilty to one count of possessing child pornography. He has been sentenced to ten months in jail.

The New Westminster Police Department on Wednesday said that this investigation serves as a reminder that we all have a role to play in reducing the growing proliferation of child sexual abuse material on the internet. It recommends parents and guardians familiarize themselves with ways they can safeguard children from sexual abuse and ways they can prevent children from sharing sexual images online.

“Behind each image of child sexual abuse is a real child,” said Sgt. Andrew Leaver. “It is our duty to shed light on this form of exploitation. We typically make this recommendation at the start of the school year, and that is to double check your social media privacy settings and speak with kids about how to stay safe online.”

The New Westminster Police encourage parents, guardians, and those who work with children to find helpful resources on the Canadian Centre for Child Protection website. In addition to age appropriate resources about staying safe online, the website offers information about the removal of online child sexual abuse material.

To find out more, visit protectchildren.ca