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Men from Qualicum Beach and Parksville arrested on child pornography charges

Police say the alleged incidents are unrelated and the men were not known to police

Two Parksville Qualicum Beach men have been arrested in relation to separate incidents related to child pornography possession, according to Oceanside RCMP.

Mounties are recommending charges against both men.

On March 6, police said a search warrant was obtained for a residence in Qualicum Beach, where a 42-year-old man was subsequently arrested. Police are recommending charges of possession of child pornography, unsafe storage of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance against the Qualicum Beach resident.

A few days later on March 10, police said a search warrant was obtained for a residence in Parksville, where a 54-year-old man was arrested. Police are recommending charges of possession and distribution of child pornography.

Oceanside RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman told The NEWS neither of the suspects are known to police, nor are the incidents related.

Both men have since been released. Police said the men will make their first appearance in Nanaimo Provincial Court in June.

"The RCMP takes child pornography and sexual assaults very seriously," said Foreman. "Crimes against children are serious and result in lifelong emotional scars."

Foreman said child pornography investigations are rare in this region, but whenever they do surface the incidents are acted upon immediately.

The Oceanside detachment was tipped off by the Integrated Child Exploitation (ICE) team, an RCMP unit based in Surrey, on

March 5, according to Foreman. He said police mobilized quickly to obtain search warrants for the suspects.

According to a news release issued by Oceanside RCMP, there is a growing demand for child pornography investigations due to a "dramatic increase in this crime via the internet."

The ICE team works in conjunction with the RCMP technical crime unit and municipal detachments.

Members of the Integrated Child Exploitation team are asking anyone who may have information about incidents where children are being sexually abused to call their tip line at 604-598-4498.