Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
A 19-year-old man from Evangeline, N.B., has been charged in connection with an investigation into images of child sexual abuse.
The investigation, led by the New Brunswick RCMP’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit, began in June 2022, following information received from the RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre (NCECC).
Through the investigation, the New Brunswick RCMP’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit believed the same suspect to be involved in an investigation led by the Caraquet RCMP detachment where images of underage females had been modified in sexually explicit manners and then shared online.
On December 13, 2022, members of the New Brunswick RCMP’s ICE Unit, along with members of the Northeast District RCMP and the RCMP’s Digital Forensic Services, executed a search warrant at a residence in Evangeline, as part of the investigation. A then 18-year-old man from the community was arrested at the scene, and police seized several electronic devices. The man was later released on conditions, pending a future court appearance.
On May 10, 2023, charges of possession of child pornography, and transmitting child pornography, were laid against Keith Gionet McLaughlin in Bathurst Provincial Court.
August 24, 2023, Keith Gionet McLaughlin was subsequently charged with Making Child Pornography.
On September 18, 2023, Keith Gionet McLaughlin entered a non-guilty plea and a trial was set for August 12 to August 14, 2024.
The New Brunswick RCMP’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit includes members from the Saint John Police Force and the Kennebecasis Regional Police Force. The RCMP’s Digital Forensic Services Unit and members from the Northeast District RCMP assisted with the investigation.