Canadian innovation adopted by law enforcement internationally
The United Kingdom, Italy and Spain deploy Canadian-made Child Exploitation Tracking System
MISSISSAUGA, ON - October 18, 2006 - The Canadian-made Child Exploitation Tracking System (CETS) was launched today by the United Kingdom's National Criminal Intelligence Service, Spain's Cuerpo Nacional de Policía and Italy's Polizia di Stato. CETS is a software tool developed by the RCMP, the Toronto Police Service and Microsoft Canada Co. that allows law enforcement to share information to more effectively battle the borderless crime of online child exploitation.
CETS, a home grown Canadian innovation, has united law enforcement in the U.K., Italy and Spain with Indonesia and Canada. This global collaboration will assist law enforcement in the apprehension of predators and help save the lives of children who are the victims of sexual exploitation. Recently, six additional police services in Canada also deployed the system, including Montreal, Saanich, New Westminster, Waterloo, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, bringing the total number of Canadian agencies using the system to 29.
"Criminals are using the Internet at an unprecedented rate to exploit the most vulnerable of our society - our children," said Superintendent Earla-Kim McColl, Officer in Charge of the National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre. "CETS has given law enforcement the means to communicate effectively, allowing for more thorough and efficient investigations leading to the rescue of countless children from the hands of child predators."
In March 2006, CETS was credited with linking investigators on three continents that led to the uncovering of an international online child pornography ring. CETS played a part in helping investigators arrest 27 suspects in four countries for their involvement in the production and distribution of online child pornography. To date, CETS has assisted with 64 arrests and the rescue and identification of 43 victims worldwide.
The concept for CETS originated in January 2003, when an officer from the Toronto Police Service, frustrated by the lack of technology available to help solve these crimes, emailed Bill Gates asking for help. In response, Microsoft Canada began working with the Toronto Police Service and the RCMP to explore how it could meet the needs of law enforcement.
Microsoft has since invested more than $7 million (U.S.) in the project and has created the Centre of Excellence at its headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario to assist in the ongoing deployment of CETS both nationally and internationally.
"CETS allows police forces to share information regardless of jurisdiction establishing links between child exploitation investigations," said Phil Sorgen, President, Microsoft Canada. "Microsoft is committed to working with law enforcement agencies around the world in an effort to protect children from those who use the Internet in malicious ways."
About Microsoft Canada
Established in 1985, Microsoft Canada Co. is the Canadian subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Canada provides nationwide sales, marketing, consulting and local support services in both French and English. Headquartered in Mississauga, Microsoft Canada has 10 regional offices across the country dedicated to empowering people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. Visit Microsoft Canada's web site at www.microsoft.ca.
©2006 Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
