Georgetown man charged with child exploitation, police believe there may be more victims

A 24-year-old man has been charged as part of an ongoing child exploitation investigation.

A 24-year-old man from Georgetown, Ont. has been charged as part of an ongoing child exploitation investigation. On March 13, the Waterloo Regional Police Service and Thunder Bay Police Service carried out search warrants at homes in Waterloo and Georgetown. A 24-year-old from Waterloo was charged with making child sexual assault and exploitation material, possession of child sexual assault and exploitation material, invitation to sexual touching, making sexually explicit material available to a child, and two counts of luring a child under the age of 16.

A second man, 24-year-old Benjamin Haden, was charged on July 13 with making sexually explicit material available to a child, possession of child sexual assault and exploitation material, five counts of making child sexual assault and exploitation material, and six counts of luring a child under the age of 16. Waterloo Regional Police said they identified Haden, and shared his photo on Tuesday, as they believe there may be more adult and child victims who have yet to come forward. Investigators said he used several usernames online, including Haroldkumar2321, Haroldkumar1120, Haroldkumar1121 and bradley232114.

Other aliases Haden used were Ben, Benji, Harold, Jacob, Bradley, Brett, Emma and Katie. “He frequently contacted the same individuals using different names and often initiated conversation by falsely claiming to have found the person’s phone number written in a public location,” police said. “In some instances, he also offered vape pods, alcohol, or drugs in exchange for sexual services.”

Anyone with information that can help with the investigation is asked to contact Waterloo Regional Police at 519-570-9777, extension 8397 or 8264. Victim Services of Waterloo Region is always available for immediate crisis intervention, emotional support and referrals at 519-585-2363 or visit https://www.vswr.ca/ .