Stony Plain resident charged in global child exploitation probe

STONY PLAIN -- An international child exploitation investigation has led to the arrest of a Stony Plain resident.

40-year-old Rocco Caterina was charged with possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material. He was arrested at his residence in Stony Plain and is one of twenty-eight people arrested in the global operation.

The global operation was led by Norway's National Criminal Investigation Service and has led to the arrests of multiple suspects in fourteen countries, including Canada, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czechia, Germany, and more. According to investigators, the suspects used cryptocurrency to access child exploitation materials.

"We have collaborated closely with law enforcement services in 13 other countries in order to coordinate the arrests of the identified users of the forums using this cryptocurrency as the required method of payment," said Police Prosecutor Terje Michelsen of the Norwegian NCIS.

Caterina previously worked in the office of an Edmonton city councilor and was a former city council candidate. He has been released from custody and his next court appearance is set for July 15.