The Halton police’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit has laid charges in relation to a male who recorded male victims for sexual purposes across the GTA.
On March 23, a 13-year-old boy attended the Cineplex Cinemas located at 2081 Winston Park Drive in Oakville. While using the bathroom at the theatre the boy observed a male suspect filming him over the top of the bathroom stall police said. Through the course of investigation, the suspect was identified as Robert Russell (30) of Brampton and arrested in Oakville on April 1.
Russel was subsequently charged with voyeurism and held in custody pending a bail hearing at that time.
Through further investigation, it was determined that between October 2021 and March 2023, the accused had attended approximately thirty locations across the GTA and one location in Montreal (sporting events, movie theatres, public pools, etc.) where he entered men’s public washrooms and surreptitiously recorded males. The victims appeared to range in age from approximately 3-years-old to adulthood.
As a result of this new evidence, Russell was re-arrested on August 3. He was charged with the additional offences of voyeurism, making and possession of child pornography. He has once again been held in custody pending a bail hearing.
Investigators believe there are additional and unidentified victims in relation to Russell and are asking anyone with information, or anyone who has been victimized by him to contact D/Cst Verreault of the Internet Child Exploitation Unit at 905-825-4777 ext. 8986.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
