An accused sex offender turned himself in to Toronto police Wednesday morning and now faces additional charges in a case that involved investigators in Canada and the U.S.
Matthew Hughes walked in to 22 Division to meet with sex crimes detectives. He was arrested and charged with 22 new counts.
The charges were the result of a joint investigation dubbed Project Camelot by Toronto police and the American Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"A joint investigation called Project Camelot was launched into online activity of Matthew Hughes involving thousands of other online users and tens of thousands of Internet chat logs," Det. Const. Warren Bulmer said.
Investigators allege Hughes "made online contact with other users" and "had (Internet) conversations where criminal offences were committed," Bulmer added.
Hughes was charged with:
- Five counts of distributing child pornography;
- Five counts of possession of child pornography;
- Four counts of counselling to commit an indictable offence;
- Three counts of invitation to sexual touching involving a person under 14;
- Two counts of sexual interference;
- Conspiracy to commit an indictable offence;
- Procuring a person under the age of 18; and
- Accessing child pornography.
Authorities in the U.S. have investigated seven other people and an unspecified number are facing federal and state charges.
Police also say five children between the ages of one and 14 have been rescued as a result of Project Camelot. Investigators allege the children had been forced to perform live sex acts in an Internet chat room.
Hughes was originally charged in December 2006 after a California-based sex trade worker told local police she saw a man she was chatting with sexually abuse a young girl. It led to a pair of charges against Hughes.
Further police investigation showed that the alleged abuse did not happen live online. It had instead been previously recorded and was played by a third person online at the time.
Police dropped a charge of sexual interference against Hughes. At the time his lawyer said police "jumped the gun."
As a result, police in the U.S. located an unidentified man and arrested him at his home.
Charges of possession of child pornography and making child porn available were still laid against Hughes. He was subsequently released on $10,000 bail.
Hughes was still free on bail when he went to 22 Division Wednesday. He appeared in court for the new charges later in the day.
With a report from CTV's Jim Junkin and files from The Canadian Press
